Maine Congressman Mike Michaud announced today that Maine seniors, who receive Medicare benefits, will start receiving $250 checks this week.

Under recently enacted health insurance reforms, seniors are qualified to receive a one-time, tax free $250 rebate check. The checks will be mailed monthly over the next several months.

Michaud said up to 21,500 Mainers could qualify to receive the so-called ‘donut hole’ rebates.

The donut hole coverage gap is the period in the Medicare prescription drug benefit in which the the beneficiary pays 100 percent of the cost of their drugs until they hit the catastrophic coverage threshold.