President Trump’s proposed plan to send 33 million Medicare beneficiaries cards that can be used to help pay for as much as $200 in prescription drug costs won’t be completed until after the election, according to an unnamed source in a Wall Street Journal report.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is unable to say exactly when the cards will be sent because the proposal still is under review at the Office of Management and Budget, according to the article. Low-income beneficiaries who don’t already receive financial assistance for medications, rather than everyone in Medicare Part D, likely would receive the cards, according to the person familiar with the planning.
The plan calls for funding the cards from two Medicare trust funds, according to the administration official. Democrats and other critics have said that providing discounts doesn’t fall within the parameters or goals of the program and that it is unwise to tap the Medicare trust funds.
