U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a one-time $90 payment for more than 20 million Americans enrolled in Medicare to help offset their monthly health insurance premiums.
Trump said the payments would come from the Medicare Improvement Fund adding that Congress had allocated $2 billion to the fund to support improvements to the Medicare fee-for-service programme.
The White House later provided additional details of the plan, saying most eligible Medicare beneficiaries would receive the payment through direct deposit in early October.
Beneficiaries who do not use direct deposit will receive a cheque at the mailing address registered with Medicare, the White House said.
The announcement comes as Trump and his Republican Party prepare for the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.
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Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Trump has also proposed a separate $5,000 payment for adult Americans if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress after the midterm elections.
The proposal has drawn scepticism from analysts, economists and some Republican lawmakers.
The administration is also separately providing $500 payments to nearly one million Americans who purchased health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
The White House describes those payments as refunds for what it says were excessive fees charged to the beneficiaries.
The latest Medicare payment is part of a series of financial measures announced by the Trump administration as Americans continue to face concerns over the cost of living and healthcare expenses.
reuters
