Medicare Advantage

$90 Medicare Rebate: Who Qualifies and Who Is Excluded?

CMS says 20.8 million Original Medicare Part B beneficiaries meet the $90 rebate criteria. See who qualifies, who is excluded, and why Part B enrollment alone does not determine eligibility.

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TL;DR:
CMS says 20.8 million people in Original Medicare Part B meet the $90 rebate criteria. Part B enrollment alone does not establish eligibility because Medicare Advantage and other groups are excluded.

What You Need to Know

The change: CMS is providing a one-time $90 rebate to qualifying Original Medicare Part B beneficiaries in October 2026.
Who is affected: CMS says 20.8 million people in Original Medicare Part B meet the rebate criteria. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are not eligible.
Why it matters: Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have Part B coverage but are excluded from this payment, so Part B enrollment alone does not establish eligibility.
What to do first: Use CMS’s specific eligibility criteria rather than broad labels such as “Medicare beneficiaries” or unqualified “Part B enrollees.”
Key date: CMS says most eligible recipients will receive direct deposits on or around October 8, with some paper checks arriving later in October.

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