President Trump announced late Friday on Truth Social that his administration will 'immediately' begin sending one-time $90 payments to help seniors cover Medicare Part B premiums, and the White House said most eligible beneficiaries will get a direct deposit on or around Oct. 8. CMS says about 20.8 million Medicare Part B enrollees qualify — roughly one-third of the 70.6 million people in Medicare. Seniors without direct deposit will receive a paper check later in October, mailed to the address on file with Medicare. Payments can be confirmed by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, while the Social Security Administration will handle payment-status questions beginning Oct. 15.

USA TODAY reviewed a White House state-by-state breakdown showing payments span all 50 states, with the biggest populations getting the most: California leads with about 1.52 million recipients, followed by Texas at 1.43 million, Florida at 1.40 million, New York at 1.02 million and Pennsylvania at 905,000. Battleground Senate states figure prominently — Ohio has 748,000 recipients, North Carolina 644,000, Michigan 539,000 and Georgia 568,000 — while Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota each fall below 100,000. USA TODAY Network New England reports more than 1.1 million New England seniors are set to receive checks, led by Massachusetts at 528,000.

The payments arrive four weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with affordability a core liability for Republicans. An AP-NORC poll cited in coverage found 82% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of cost-of-living issues, while just 17% approve. Critics have slammed the broader cash-giving push as an effort to buy votes: it follows $500 rebate checks to nearly 1 million ACA enrollees across 30 states, and Trump has renewed a pledge of $5,000 dividend payments to every adult citizen if Republicans keep Congress — a promise Healthcare Dive notes would cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval.

Direct deposits should arrive on or around Oct. 8, with paper checks following later in October, and the Social Security Administration begins taking payment-status calls Oct. 15. Seniors can verify eligibility now by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Watch next for the Social Security 2027 cost-of-living adjustment announcement this month — CNBC reports experts estimate a 3.5% to 3.6% increase, which would be the highest in three years, though rising Part B premiums are typically deducted from Social Security checks and can eat into that raise. Trump's larger $5,000 pledge remains contingent on November's election results and congressional sign-off.