MEDICARE MONEY: Trump Announces $90 Payments for More Than 20 Million Seniors

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — President Donald Trump announced a new round of one-time $90 payments for more than 20 million Medicare beneficiaries, tapping a little-used federal fund to help eligible seniors offset the cost of their Part B premiums.

The payments will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a pool established by Congress in 2008 to support improvements to traditional Medicare. According to the White House, the fund currently contains approximately $2 billion and has never previously been used to make direct payments to beneficiaries.

Most eligible recipients will receive the $90 payment by direct deposit in early October. Medicare beneficiaries without direct deposit will instead receive a check at the mailing address registered with Medicare, the administration said.

The payment is not going to every Medicare recipient.

The White House says most people enrolled in Medicare Part B qualify, but beneficiaries whose Part B premiums are already covered by Medicaid will not receive the payment. Seniors who pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, an additional Medicare premium charged to higher-income beneficiaries, are also excluded.

The announcement could have significant reach in Nevada, where 612,400 people were enrolled in Medicare for 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS does not indicate how many of those Nevada beneficiaries meet the specific eligibility requirements for the new payment, meaning the precise number of Nevadans receiving the $90 remains unclear.

Trump framed the move as part of his administration’s broader effort to reduce health care costs for seniors and argued that the Medicare Improvement Fund should be used to provide direct financial relief rather than remain unused in Washington.

The White House described Trump as the first president to use the fund to directly lower seniors’ Medicare costs. The administration also pointed to its efforts on hospital price transparency, prescription drug pricing and fraud enforcement as part of its broader health care agenda.

The Medicare Improvement Fund itself has existed for nearly two decades, although Congress has repeatedly changed its funding level as part of broader Medicare legislation and federal budget negotiations. The administration’s latest action turns a portion of that money into direct payments rather than directing it toward a new Medicare program or provider initiative.

For Nevada seniors wondering whether a payment is coming, the administration says beneficiaries can call 1-800-MEDICARE, or 1-800-633-4227, to check eligibility. Those seeking information on the status of an expected payment can contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

The checks arrive just ahead of Medicare’s annual open enrollment period, which begins October 15. Nevada beneficiaries will have until December 7 to review and change their coverage for 2027.

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