Trump sending ACA and Medicare checks, but will they offset costs?

President Trump is sending out checks to millions of Medicare and Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollees, describing the efforts as a way to help lower healthcare costs for seniors and families. However, health policy experts say the payments may not be enough to offset rapidly rising healthcare expenses.

On Friday, Trump announced on social media that his administration will send $90 checks to more than 20 million Medicare beneficiaries in Part B plans this month. This follows a September 10 statement from the White House, which said $500 checks would be sent to about 1 million people who enrolled in ACA plans this year through federal exchanges.

While the payments may help defray some healthcare costs for those enrolled in these programs, experts argue the money may fall short of covering the increasing costs. In fact, premiums for Medicare Part B rose by over $200 annually in 2026, and are expected to increase by another $79 next year.

The $90 payments could be helpful for some, but may not be sufficient to cover the full increase in costs, especially for seniors facing rising expenses for gas, heating their homes, food, and mortgage payments. The $500 ACA checks, too, may not be enough to cover the rising costs, with the average premium for enrollees up by $780 this year, a 58% increase from 2025.