MedPage Today, citing reporting from the Associated Press, says the Trump administration is sending one-time $90 payments to about 20.8 million people in original Medicare Part B who do not receive Medicaid premium assistance and do not pay income-related monthly adjusted amounts. The roughly $2 billion payout comes from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a congressional fund originally created in 2008 for program management and oversight. Eligible beneficiaries will receive the payment automatically this month, with most getting a direct deposit on or around Friday and others receiving paper checks later in October.
Most Medicare beneficiaries will not get a check. KFF data cited in the article show that Medicare Advantage enrollees make up more than half of the 64.2 million Medicare population and are ineligible. About 12 million low-income older adults and people with disabilities who receive premium assistance are also left out, as are higher-income enrollees who pay income-related adjustments.
White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said the administration is putting money directly back in the hands of Medicare patients. But critics see the timing as a pre-election stunt before the Nov. 3 midterms. Sen. Ron Wyden called it a desperate attempt by a failed president to escape Americans’ revulsion with his failed agenda. KFF’s Juliette Cubanski noted the rebate might help people but may not go far while food, energy, gas, and healthcare costs are rising.