President Donald Trump has announced that the US government will send a one-off 90 US dollar payment to more than 20 million Americans enrolled in Medicare to help offset their monthly medical insurance premiums.
Trump said the money would come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which he said had been allocated 2 billion US dollars by Congress to improve the programme’s fee-for-service system.
Medicare payments expected in October
Most eligible seniors will receive the payment by direct deposit in early October, according to details released by the White House. Those without direct deposit will be sent a cheque to the mailing address registered with Medicare.
The announcement comes as Republicans prepare for November’s midterm elections, in which control of Congress is at stake. The party currently holds narrow majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Trump has made a series of financial promises to voters as concerns over the cost of living continue. His approval rating has been low over his handling of those pressures during the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has driven up oil and gas prices.
In September, the president proposed sending 5,000 US dollar cheques to all adult citizens if Republicans retain control of both chambers after the midterms. Analysts, economists and some Republican members of Congress expressed scepticism about that plan.
The administration is also separately sending 500 US dollar payments to nearly one million Americans. Strategists have said those payments could potentially influence some election races, while the White House has described them as refunds for excessive fees charged to people who bought health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
