Some Medicare Part B Enrollees Still Waiting on the One-Time $90 Rebate Should Watch the Mail This Month

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — People in Original Medicare Part B who do not get the one-time $90 premium rebate by direct deposit should look for a paper check from the U.S. Treasury later this month, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

CMS said most eligible beneficiaries would receive a $90 direct deposit on or around Oct. 8, followed by an email or a letter from the president in mid-October. Those without direct deposit will receive a check at the mailing address they have registered with Medicare. The check carries the message "Medicare Improvement Fund Payment; $90 Payment to Offset October Premium."

The rebate goes to about 20.8 million people in Original Medicare Part B nationwide. CMS's eligibility list reads: "(1) Living in the United States, are (2) not receiving premium assistance from Medicaid; or, (3) not paying an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount." That adjustment is the higher premium charged to higher-income enrollees. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage are not eligible. Each eligible person receives one rebate.

Medicare's letter page tells recipients to look for a direct deposit to their bank account or a check in the mail from the U.S. Treasury. To check eligibility, CMS directs people to call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). To check on a payment's status, it directs them to the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

The money comes from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which CMS says was created by Section 7002 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008.