Oct 14, 2020 - Health
Seniors won't receive Trump drug discount cards until after election
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The $200 prescription drug discount cards the Trump administration promised to Medicare recipients won't likely reach households by the Nov. 3 goal, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Why it matters: The cards, which Trump announced in late September with little detail, target voters over 65, a group that is crucial to the president's reelection bid.
- The administration could only push through a small percentage of cards by October, so most will likely reach users after Election Day.
- It's still uncertain whether the federal government can legally send out the cards.
By the numbers: If approved by the Office for Management and Budget, it could cost up to $8 billion.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is spending an estimated $20 million for administrative costs to print and send letters to Medicare beneficiaries informing them that they will be getting cards, per WSJ.