President Donald Trump says his administration will use a “slush fund” to send one-time payments to more than 20 million seniors.
“I am pleased to announce that my Administration will, immediately, begin sending ‘Checks’ of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors to help pay for their Medicare Part B premiums, which we have already reduced by significant amounts,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post late Friday.
A White House news release said the federal government will make one-time payments of $90 early this month to more than 20 million Medicare enrollees. Most eligible recipients are expected to receive the money through direct deposit, while others will receive checks.
“This money will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a pointless ‘Slush Fund’ that has only been used by Dumocrats (sic) in Congress to pay for the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse for their Special Interest friends, and drive up Healthcare costs,” Trump continued on Truth Social.
Most people enrolled in Medicare Part B will qualify for the payment. People whose Part B premiums are already paid by Medicaid, as well as those who pay an additional income-related premium, will not be eligible, according to the White House.
While Trump said the funds are intended to help seniors, the standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026, meaning the $90 payment would cover less than half of one month’s premium, while the annual deductible is $283, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
"We are finally using this Fund, along with my Most Favored Nations Deals, to substantially LOWER costs for our Seniors," Trump wrote. "I pledged to protect and preserve Medicare and Social Security, which were on the verge of RUIN by Joe Biden, who foolishly and maliciously let tens of millions of Illegal Aliens into our Country, and we are doing just that for America’s Seniors."
The announcement comes just over a month before the midterm elections, with control of Congress up for grabs and Republicans facing the possibility of losing their majority.
Trump has also floated a much larger $5,000 payment to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans maintain control of both the House and Senate. He said last month that the payments would happen if Republicans win the elections.
Trump has also insisted that he doesn’t need congressional approval to send the $5,000, raising questions about why he hasn’t moved forward with the payments before the election.
The administration is also separately sending a $500 refund to nearly 1 million Americans who purchased health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The White House says those payments are refunds for what it describes as excessive fees charged to some policyholders.
Trump said the new Medicare payments are separate from the proposed $5,000 “Trump dividend” and would not affect that pledge.
