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A month before the midterm elections, the Trump administration sent more than 20 million seniors a $90 payment.
The White House announced a one-time payment of “$90 per person” to “more than 20 million enrollees” in Medicare Part B, scheduled for early October (1).
The money came from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which Congress funded with $2 billion and which had never been used before, according to the White House (1).
Most eligible people were scheduled to get the $90 by direct deposit from Social Security “on or around Oct. 8,” CBS News reported, citing CMS (2).
I’ve been a CPA since 1981, and $90 is $90. But here’s the math the check doesn’t show you.
The standard Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 a month, “an increase of $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025,” according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (3). Over 12 months, that increase adds up to $214.80.
So the $90 check covered about 42% of this year’s increase. And next year’s premium hasn’t been announced yet.
Here are 5 things to know about your Medicare costs after Election Day.
1. The $90 didn’t reach everyone
Only about one-third of the 62.9 million Part B enrollees were eligible, CBS News reported (2).
People left out include Medicare Advantage enrollees, those paying income-related premiums, people who don’t live in the U.S. and beneficiaries who get help paying their premiums, according to CBS (2).
If you pay an income-related surcharge and a life-changing event, such as a loss of income, has reduced your household income, you can ask Social Security to lower it, according to the agency (6). That’s one of many things worth a planning conversation.
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2. The 2027 premium is coming, probably after Tuesday
Last year, CMS announced the 2026 premium on Nov. 14, 2025 (3). AARP reported in early October that the actual 2027 premium and deductible “will be announced later this fall” (4).
Medicare’s trustees projected the standard premium “will increase by $6.60 to $209.50 per month in 2027,” and they expect the Part B deductible to go from $283 to $292, AARP reported (4). Those are projections, not final numbers.
3. A $6.60 increase adds up to $79.20 a year
If the projection holds, you’d pay $79.20 more for Part B over 2027, before the higher deductible.
Social Security’s 2027 cost-of-living adjustment will add an average of $75 a month to retirement benefits, according to the Social Security Administration (5). If your Part B premium comes out of your Social Security check, part of that raise goes right back out.
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4. The $90 was a one-time payment
The White House described the $90 as a one-time payment (1). Premium increases, on the other hand, tend to stick around.
So don’t build next year’s budget around another check. Build it around the higher premium.
5. Budget for 2027 now, not when the letter comes
Use the trustees’ $209.50 projection as a placeholder for each person on Medicare in your household, and adjust when CMS announces the real number (4).
If you pay an income-related surcharge, budget more. And if a life-changing event has cut your income, ask Social Security about lowering it (6).
My honest take
The $90 check was real money, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But it covered less than half of this year’s premium increase, and the 2027 premium hasn’t been announced yet.
Checks arrive with fanfare. Premium increases arrive quietly, a few dollars at a time.
Enjoy the $90. Then budget as if the next increase is already on its way, because it probably is.
Sources: 1. The White House; 2. CBS News; 3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 4. AARP; 5. Social Security Administration; 6. Social Security Administration
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