President Donald Trump promised on Friday to give $90 rebate checks to offset premiums for millions of U.S.seniors on Medicare, his latest pledge to send money to Americans ahead of the midterm elections.“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,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.Trump said the money “will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a pointless ‘Slush Fund’ that has only been used by Dumocrats in Congress to pay for the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse for their Special Interest friends, and drive up Healthcare costs.”The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services affirmed Trump’s plans on Saturday, writing in a fact sheet that 20.8 million Americans are eligible for the $90 premium rebates.“The Administration is making a $90 Premium Rebate available for Part B premiums to certain Medicare beneficiaries because the best way to improve Medicare is to put healthcare dollars back where they belong — in the hands of our Medicare beneficiaries — and make coverage more affordable,” the CMS fact sheet said.The agency said that some beneficiaries will receive a direct deposit for a $90 rebate in early October followed by an email or a letter from Trump, while other beneficiaries will receive a $90 paper check from the Treasury Department later this month.Following that timeline, both payment methods are expected to be received before the Nov.
3 midterm elections.The CMS fact sheet claims that Trump is the first president to tap into the Medicare Improvement Fund, which was established by Congress in 2008 to help finance general improvements to the Medicare program.However, the fact sheet also noted that Congress has withdrawn from the fund on numerous occasions to “‘offset’ new spending.”Trump wrote in his Truth Social post ...