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If you’re on Medicare, President Donald Trump says money is headed your way.
In a Truth Social post late Friday, Oct. 2, he announced his administration will “immediately, begin sending ‘Checks’ of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors.” (1)(2)
The money is meant to help with Part B premiums, “which we have already reduced by significant amounts,” he wrote. (1)
The White House fact sheet puts the real number at $90 per person. It comes from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which Congress stocked with $2 billion but never used. (3)
I’ve been a CPA since 1981, and my advice on free money is simple: take it. But “nearly $100” is $90, two big groups of seniors won’t get a dime, and the Part B premium didn’t go down this year. It went up. (4)
Here are six things to know before you spend it.
1. It’s $90, and it’s a one-time payment
Most eligible people will get the money by direct deposit in early October. If you don’t have direct deposit, a check goes to the address Medicare has on file. (3)
The math roughly checks out, by the way. Trump called the fund a “pointless ‘Slush Fund.'” (2) Ninety dollars for each of more than 20 million people comes to $1.8 billion or more, close to the $2 billion Congress put in the fund.
Wondering whether you qualify? Call 1-800-MEDICARE. For payment status, the White House says to call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. (3)
2. Two groups get nothing
The fact sheet excludes people whose Part B premiums Medicaid already pays. It also excludes anyone who pays an income-related monthly adjustment amount, or IRMAA. (3)
That’s the surcharge on higher earners. In 2026, it kicks in once modified adjusted gross income tops $109,000 for single filers or $218,000 for couples. (4) Social Security generally uses the tax return from two years earlier, so 2024 income sets your 2026 premium. (8)
So if a big IRA withdrawal, Roth conversion or home sale pushed you over the line, you’re not just paying more for Medicare. You’re also skipping this check.
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3. Your premium went up, not down
The standard Part B premium rose from $185 in 2025 to $202.90 in 2026, an increase of $17.90 a month. The annual deductible rose from $257 to $283. (4)
To be fair, Medicare’s own fact sheet credits the administration with a crackdown on spending for skin substitutes. Without it, the increase “would have been about $11 more a month.” (4) That’s a smaller raise in your bill. It isn’t a cut.
And $90 doesn’t go far. At $202.90 a month, you’ll pay $2,434.80 for Part B this year. The check covers less than half of one month.
Next year probably won’t be cheaper, either. Medicare’s trustees projected a 2027 premium of $209.50. (5)
When fixed costs keep creeping up, small discounts add up. An AARP membership brings savings on prescriptions, eyeglasses and meal delivery, plus the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
At as low as $15 for your first year with auto-renewal, one use of a single benefit can pay for it. Check it out here.
Quick gut-check — if your money advice is coming from random online influencers, you’re playing a dangerous game. I’ve been a CPA since 1981 and writing about money since before the internet existed. Sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter and get expert advice that’s been tested by time.
4. Expect scammers to chase this check
Every time Washington sends money, crooks follow it. The Federal Trade Commission says reports from older adults who lost $10,000 or more to imposters claiming to be the government or a business rose more than fourfold from 2020 to 2024. (6)
Here’s the key: According to the White House, this money is sent automatically, by direct deposit or mail. (3) Nothing in the fact sheet asks you to sign up, verify your Medicare number or pay a fee to “release” it.
Anyone who calls, texts or emails asking for any of that is a thief. Hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.
5. Spend your energy on open enrollment instead
The $90 is small potatoes next to the plan you choose this fall. Open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. (7)
The average standalone Part D premium is expected to rise from $35.09 to $36 in 2027, while the average Medicare Advantage premium drops from $14.37 to $12. (7) But the average beneficiary will have 35 Advantage plans to choose from, down from 39. (7)
Fewer plans means yours may have changed or disappeared. Read the notice your plan sent, then check that your doctors and drugs are still covered. Picking the wrong plan can cost you far more than $90.
6. Remember what Medicare doesn’t pay for at all
Part B premiums get the headlines. The bigger threat to most retirees’ savings is care Medicare won’t cover.
Someone turning 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care, according to the federal Administration for Community Living. (9) And Medicare generally doesn’t cover custodial care, the day-to-day help with bathing and dressing, which can leave families facing steep bills.
Long-term care insurance helps fill that gap, covering services like home care, assisted living and help with daily tasks. Rates are typically lowest if you buy in your 50s or early 60s.
The bottom line
Credit where it’s due: Putting money that sat unused back into seniors’ pockets beats letting it gather dust in Washington.
But let’s call it what it is. It’s a one-time $90 check, not “nearly $100.” It won’t reach seniors whose premiums Medicaid pays or those paying the income surcharge. And it lands in the same year your Part B premium went up $17.90 a month.
So cash it, don’t count on another one, and spend the next two months making sure your plan still fits.
Ninety dollars is a nice surprise. The wrong Medicare plan is a much bigger one.
Sources: 1. Mediaite; 2. Fox Business; 3. The White House; 4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 5. MOAA; 6. Federal Trade Commission; 7. Medicare Rights Center; 8. Social Security Administration; 9. Administration for Community Living
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