Trump Promises Seniors $200 Prescription Drug Gift Certificates, but Questions Abound

President Trump on Thursday vowed to send $200 prescription drug coupons to 33 million Medicare beneficiaries "in the coming weeks," reports STAT . A White House spokesman said the administration is authorized to ship the coupons from a Medicare demonstration program, with the $6.6 billion required for shipping to come from savings from Trump's "most favored nations" drug pricing proposal. That regulation has not yet been implemented, which means those alleged savings are not yet existent; the spokesman said the cards would be "actual discount cards for prescription drug copays." Trump also boasted of a new regulation allowing states and pharmacies to import prescription drugs from Canada, yet states would still have to apply to participate and set up new programs to actually start importation. Health Secretary Alex Azar also sent a letter to Congress formally certifying the safety and money-saving benefits of importation. It is uncertain whether Trump's promises on $200 credits for prescription drug coupons will bear fruit, as the Constitution empowers Congress, not the White House, to spend taxpayer money. The New York Times also reported earlier that Trump officials had attempted to persuade the pharmaceutical industry to pay for similar cards worth $100 — and was met with rejection. A Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spokesperson stated that "one-time savings cards will neither provide lasting help, nor advance the fundamental reforms necessary to help seniors better afford their medicines."