Real solutions needed to high drug prices, not $200 Trump cards
October 02, 2020
Thirty-three million Medicare beneficiaries will soon receive a discount card in the mail containing $200 that they can use to help pay for prescription drugs, President Trump announced at a campaign rally Sept. 24.
However, a consumer group said Trump’s bizarre announcement is a transparent and pathetic attempt to bribe seniors for their votes.
“Seniors and all Americans don’t need Trump cards, they need real solutions to rip-off drug prices,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization.
The solution to outlandishly high pharmaceutical prices isn’t to give people money to offset extortionate drug prices, he said.
“The solution is to end price gouging altogether,” Weissman said.
Trump has launched what he calls his America First Healthcare Plan, which aims to replace the Affordable Care Act.
The plan includes three parts: more choice for Americans, lower costs for families and seniors, and better care for American patients.
As currently drafted, the executive order lacks the authority to have a substantial impact on provider, physician, and insurer groups, unless the individual elements are followed by regulations.
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