Instead of meaningful action to lower Americans’ health care costs, Trump has announced yet another publicity stunt. He just promised some 20 million Medicare Part B enrollees a one-time, $90 rebate. Of course, this does effectively nothing to lower Americans’ health care costs, which Trump/GOP policies have made increasingly unaffordable.
The Republicans’ Big, Ugly bill slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid – and the GOP-controlled Congress refused to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. These actions have put immense upward pressure on Americans’ health care premiums.
NCPSSM’s president, Max Richtman, says the rebates will be ineffective in solving the real problem:
“Trump’s $90 payment will not even begin to offset Americans’ increased health costs, which have been exacerbated by Trump and his party’s policies.” – NCPSSM President and CEO Max Richtman.
Many seniors probably won’t even notice the $90 rebate. Standard Medicare Part B premiums are $2,435 per year in 2026 – and current estimates suggest premiums could increase by about $80 in 2027. $90 is hardly a drop in the bucket.
The Trump rebate joins other sketchy plans masquerading as real policy. TrumpRx comes immediately to mind – a website that simply repackages existing discounts on certain drugs, instead of directly addressing Big Pharma price gouging.
Senator Elizabeth Warren noted that prices for one in four drugs on TrumpRx are actually higher than consumers could get elsewhere. “TrumpRx is one more Trump scam right up there with Trump University, Trump Water, and Trump Steaks,” she said. The same can likely be said for Trump’s Medicare rebates.
Funding for the Trump rebates is suspect, too. The money for the rebates reportedly will be siphoned from a $2 billion fund that was set aside to improve Medicare’s hospital and medical insurance programs.
Ranking Senate Finance Committee member Ron Wyden (L) called Trump’s rebate plan “desperate”
As the Washington Post reports, it isn’t even clear that the administration can legally use these funds to issue Trump’s rebates.
“The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Medicare Improvement Fund, did not respond to questions about the administration’s legal authority to issue the payments.” – Washington Post, 10/5/26
Democrats were quick to dismiss the scheme. Senator Ron Wyden, ranking member on the Senate committee overseeing the Medicare program said, “This is another desperate attempt by a failed president to escape Americans’ revulsion with his failed agenda, amounting to one tank of Trump-inflated gas.”