A double standard for billions of health care dollars

President Obama made use of an obscure law to spend billions of Medicare dollars without congressional sanction. In response, Republican lawmakers were inflamed — calling his move a political ploy aimed at helping him clinch the election. They investigated and subpoenaed left and right, STAT’s Lev Facher and Nicholas Florko write.

Years later, President Trump is doing much the same, touting plans to send seniors $200 prescription drug coupons in advance of the election. This time, Republicans are silent — despite Trump using the same law and spending more money.

“It’s completely inappropriate: The timing of it reeks of a bribe to seniors before the election,” said Doug Holtz-Eakin, the president of the conservative American Action Forum and a former adviser to the late Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, said of Trump’s plan. “I see no reason to somehow pretend this is OK. It’s not OK.”