President Donald Trump said he plans to send a $90 check to more than 20 million seniors this month. The one-time payments are intended for most people enrolled in Medicare Part B, across all 50 states, according to a White House breakdown reviewed by USA TODAY.
Who Qualifies for the $90 Payment?
People whose health care premiums are already paid by Medicaid, as well as those who pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount, are not eligible, the White House said.
California has the largest estimated number of recipients, with more than 1.52 million seniors expected to get checks. Texas is next at 1.43 million, followed by Florida at 1.40 million, New York at 1.02 million and Pennsylvania at 905,000. Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota are each expected to have fewer than 100,000 recipients.
Among several closely contested Senate battleground states, estimates include 539,000 seniors in Michigan, 644,000 in North Carolina, 568,000 in Georgia, 327,000 in Iowa, 748,000 in Ohio, 88,000 in Maine and 293,000 in Kansas.
How the Payments Are Funded
The administration is diverting money from the $2 billion Medicare Improvement Fund, which Congress created in 2008 to improve Medicare services. Trump called it a “pointless ‘slush fund'” in a Truth Social post announcing the checks. The White House said the fund has never been used.
When Seniors Should Receive Their Checks
Most eligible seniors are expected to receive the money by direct deposit in early October, according to the White House. People without direct deposit will get a check at the address they listed when they registered for Medicare.
The administration this week also began sending $500 checks to nearly 1 million people in 30 states who it says were overcharged fees through the Affordable Care Act’s federal health insurance exchange. The checks include a letter signed by Trump.
Trump has also vowed to distribute $5,000 payments to all American adults if Republicans retain control of Congress in the November midterms. Critics have called the promise a bribe for votes; Trump reaffirmed it in a video posted Oct. 3.
Estimated Recipients by State and Territory
The White House provided the following estimates for where the $90 payments are going:
Alabama: 281,000
Alaska: 74,000
Arizona: 492,000
Arkansas: 257,000
California: 1,524,000
Colorado: 319,000
Connecticut: 163,000
Delaware: 120,000
District of Columbia: 23,000
Florida: 1,398,000
Georgia: 568,000
Hawaii: 80,000
Idaho: 160,000
Illinois: 867,000
Indiana: 483,000
Iowa: 327,000
Kansas: 293,000
Kentucky: 306,000
Louisiana: 265,000
Maine: 88,000
Maryland: 515,000
Massachusetts: 528,000
Michigan: 539,000
Minnesota: 331,000
Mississippi: 248,000
Missouri: 431,000
Montana: 141,000
Nebraska: 191,000
Nevada: 172,000
New Hampshire: 170,000
New Jersey: 645,000
New Mexico: 142,000
New York: 1,018,000
North Carolina: 644,000
North Dakota: 69,000
Ohio: 748,000
Oklahoma: 332,000
Oregon: 271,000
Pennsylvania: 905,000
Rhode Island: 60,000
South Carolina: 499,000
South Dakota: 93,000
Tennessee: 491,000
Texas: 1,432,000
Utah: 144,000
Vermont: 95,000
Virginia: 681,000
Washington: 490,000
West Virginia: 135,000
Wisconsin: 406,000
Wyoming: 82,000
Territories: 51,000
Armed Forces Europe and Pacific: 3,000
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