Days after receiving a $5 million donation to his Super PAC from Extremity Care LLC, a company that sells expensive skin-substitute bandages, President Trump delayed a Medicare rule that would have barred covering Extremity Care's products. These products can cost thousands per square inch despite lacking proven benefits. Trump falsely claimed the Biden rule would lead to lost limbs and deaths, parroting industry talking points.
Furthermore, the skin substitute industry engages in abusive practices that waste billions in Medicare funds. Companies offer steep bulk discounts to doctors, who then charge Medicare the full price. They also constantly re-brand nearly identical products to restart higher reimbursement rates from Medicare. These tactics appear designed to manipulate the system for profit rather than patient care.
The Trump regime's proposed new rule, while capping payments lower than some companies charge, would still allow coverage for unproven, wasteful products. This conveniently aligns with the interests of the $5 million donor company. Combined with the lucrative lobbying contract the owners gave a Trump-allied firm, the actions reek of pay-to-play corruption.
I urge Congress to uphold its oversight role and investigate whether the President directly traded policy decisions benefiting certain companies for multi-million dollar political contributions to his Super PAC. This alleged self-dealing represents an appalling violation of the public trust and duty to faithfully execute the laws, including rooting out true "waste, fraud and abuse" in federal spending. The American people deserve full transparency.
First sent on August 7 by Coleman
