Trump promises seniors $200 prescription drug gift certificates, but questions abound

In what's seen as a political ploy leading up to the election, President Trump yesterday announced that 33 million Medicare beneficiaries will get $200 prescription drug coupons "in the coming weeks." A White House spokesperson said the nearly $7 billion needed to implement this new program was coming from savings from the administration's "most favored nations" drug pricing proposal that promises the same low drug costs in other countries to people in the U.S. The catch: That policy hasn't been implemented, meaning the $6.6 billion in savings for these drug coupons don't actually exist. Trump also falsely claimed a provision to allow states and pharmacies to import drugs from Canada is effective today. In reality, an FDA policy on the subject did clear a White House review today, but the policy still has to be published and finalized, only after which states can apply to participate.