By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-10-05 15:41:40 | Updated at 2026-10-05 16:21:51
1 hour ago
The federal government will be issuing one-time payments to assist enrolled seniors in paying for their Medicare Part B premiums, according to a Friday announcement from the White House.
President Donald Trump announced he would be utilizing Congress’ $2 billion Medicare Improvement Fund to award $90 checks for over 20 million enrollees, to assist them in paying for their premiums. This announcement comes a month before the midterm elections and at a time when Trump’s approval rating for his healthcare policies remains low — including in areas that largely backed his 2024 presidential campaign.
A September survey found that 54% of voters in rural areas across the country are not happy with the president’s approach to handling healthcare. (RELATED: Demographic That Voted Trump In Large Numbers Turns On His Healthcare Plan, Poll Shows)
“President Trump believes that Medicare Improvement Funds should be used to directly help people on Medicare, not special interests, and is returning healthcare dollars back into the hands of the American people to benefit them and their individual healthcare needs,” a Wednesday fact sheet from the White House states.
The Trump Administration “is cracking down on fraud and corruption … and has taken the strongest actions to protect the integrity of the exchanges, including ending loopholes used to fraudulently enroll individuals,” the sheet added.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. A spokesperson for the Senate Aging Committee did not provide a comment on the record by publication.
The Medicare Improvement Fund was signed into law by President George W. Bush back in 2008, as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Since then, no administration has tapped into the fund to make payments for Medicare, according to the White House fact sheet. Most seniors enrolled in Medicare Part B are eligible for the payments, unless those premiums are already paid by Medicaid.
During the summer, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a record number of healthcare fraud, finding $6.5 billion worth in alleged fraud charges and seeking the prosecution of 455 individuals.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sought to “suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers,” and in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General found that more than $10 billion in payments to a Medicare Trust Fund were paid to fraudulent providers, according to a June DOJ press release.
