Trump's $90 Medicare rebate rolls out, but millions aren't eligible. Critics see a political stunt

Key Points:

• President Trump announced a $90 rebate payment for about 20.8 million original Medicare Part B beneficiaries, excluding Medicare Advantage enrollees and those receiving premium assistance, as part of an election-year promise ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
• The payments will be automatic, with most eligible recipients receiving direct deposits around mid-October and others receiving paper checks later in the month.
• Funds for the rebate come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, originally established in 2008 to improve Medicare services, marking the first time under Trump that the fund is used for direct payments to recipients.
• Critics, including Senate Finance Committee Democrat Ron Wyden, view the rebate as a political maneuver rather than a solution to rising healthcare costs, which continue to burden Americans amid inflation in food, energy, and gas prices.
• The administration also promised $500 rebates for certain Obamacare enrollees allegedly overcharged, but experts caution that these payments may provide limited relief given the scale of economic pressures facing many Americans.