You may have noticed a little extra money in your bank account this week, and there's a reason for it.
Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare are beginning to receive a one-time $90 payment from the federal government as part of a new initiative announced byPresident Donald Trump.
Payments reportedly started going out on Oct. 8.
The White House announced Oct. 2 that more than 20 million Medicare Part B beneficiaries across all 50 states would receive the payments to help cover the cost of their health insurance premiums. The Trump administration is using money from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a $2 billion fund Congress created in 2008 to help improve Medicare services.
Trump criticized the fund in a Truth Social post, calling it a "pointless
'Slush Fund.'" The White House said the fund had never been used and argued that the money would be better spent helping Medicare recipients pay their premiums.
According to a White House breakdown reviewed by USA TODAY, states with larger populations are expected to receive the most payments.
But there's a catch: Not everyone enrolled in Medicare Part B is eligible.
People whose Medicare premiums are already paid by Medicaid won't receive the $90 payment. The same goes for beneficiaries who pay higher premiums because of their income, known as an income-related monthly adjustment amount.
When will the $90 Medicare payments arrive?
If you're eligible and receive your benefits through direct deposit, your money may already be in your bank account.
Most eligible Medicare recipients were expected to receive their $90 payments on or around Oct. 8, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
If you don't have direct deposit set up, your payment will arrive as a paper check later in October.
The check will come from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and will be labeled "Medicare Improvement Fund Payment; $90 Payment to Offset October Premium," according to CMS.
If you're wondering about the status of your payment, you can contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. CMS says beneficiaries can begin checking their payment status Oct. 15.
USA Today contributed to this story.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Did you get an extra $90 from Social Security? Here's why
