President Donald Trump announced Saturday that more than 20 million seniors enrolled in Medicare will receive a one-time payment of $90 to help cover their Medicare Part B premiums — the first time any administration has tapped the Medicare Improvement Fund to send money directly to beneficiaries.
“I’m pleased to announce that over 20 million seniors on Medicare will soon be receiving a deposit of nearly $100 directly into their bank accounts,” Trump said in a video released by the White House on Oct. 3, 2026. “The payments will be going out within days. You’ll get your money almost immediately.”
The payments will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a little-used federal account Congress created in 2008 with about $2 billion to improve the Medicare fee-for-service program. According to a White House fact sheet, no previous administration had ever used the fund to directly lower costs for seniors.
Trump also claimed his administration’s “war on fraud” had already reduced Medicare premiums by $132 per year, calling it “a record.”
Most seniors enrolled in Medicare Part B will receive the $90 by direct deposit in early October, the White House said; those without direct deposit on file will receive a mailed check. Seniors whose Part B premiums are already paid by Medicaid, and higher-income enrollees who pay an income-related surcharge, do not qualify.
Context: the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium in 2026 is $202.90, so the $90 payment covers less than half of one month’s premium. CNN has previously reported that Part B premiums jumped nearly 10% from 2025 to 2026 — the largest increase in four years. USA Today reported it is unclear whether the White House has the legal authority to use the fund this way.
The announcement lands one month before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Trump announced the payments on social media late Friday; last month he promised roughly one million Americans $500 rebate checks tied to Affordable Care Act premiums, and has pledged a $5,000 payment to every adult American if Republicans retain control of Congress.
Footage: Video: The White House (public domain). Clip: a 42.9-second passage from the official Oct. 3, 2026 White House announcement video; meaning preserved, no cuts that change context. Zark News logo and source credit burned in.