President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to send one-time $90 payments to more than 20 million Medicare recipients. Now, questions are popping up over who qualifies, when the money will arrive and why millions of seniors will miss out.
The payments are expected to begin arriving in October and are aimed at eligible Medicare Part B beneficiaries. Trump initially described the payments as checks worth “nearly $100,” but the amount was subsequently confirmed at $90.
Who Will Get Trump’s $90 Checks?
Most eligible Medicare Part B recipients are expected to receive the payment automatically, which means that seniors should not have to submit a separate application.
However, the program does not cover every Medicare beneficiary. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage are among those excluded, while certain lower-income seniors whose premiums are already covered through Medicaid and higher-income beneficiaries subject to additional Medicare premium charges may also be ineligible.
(Source: whitehouse.gov)
The exclusions mean tens of millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare will not receive the $90 payment.
The initiative is expected to cost close to $2 billion, with funding coming from the Medicare Improvement Fund. This is a pool that was established by Congress to support improvements to the Medicare program.
The Trump administration says the payments are intended to help seniors deal with Medicare premiums and other healthcare expenses.
However, there are still some questions over how much relief a single $90 payment will actually provide. CBS News reported that rising Medicare costs could still leave beneficiaries paying considerably more for healthcare despite receiving the payment.
The timing has also attracted political scrutiny. The payments are being distributed shortly before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and Democrats are questioning the administration’s decision to send cash payments to millions of Americans so close to voting day.
The $90 Medicare payments are separate from another Trump administration initiative sending $500 refunds to some Affordable Care Act enrollees.
For eligible Medicare recipients, the biggest question now is when the money will arrive. The administration indicated that payments are scheduled for October, with more than 20 million beneficiaries potentially receiving the one-time deposit or check.
