Will TrumpRX Help You Save? It Depends.

Here are some short answers to immediate questions you may have about TrumpRx, President Donald Trump’s new direct-to-consumer federal prescription drug portal that’s now live:

• Can I buy prescription drugs directly on TrumpRx.com? No.

• Will I still need a prescription from my doctor? Yes.

• I’m uninsured. Do I qualify for discounts? Yes.

• I only have private insurance. Am I eligible? Yes, but not if you try to purchase prescriptions through your insurance. Your insurance co-pay could be cheaper.

• I have Medicaid. Am I eligible? No, you’re also not eligible if you have “any government, state or federally funded medical or prescription benefit programs.” That also means if you have dual insurance with a government-sponsored discount plan, you don’t qualify. 

Those last two answers weren’t that short, but that’s because, as straightforward as “direct-to-consumer” sounds, there are still caveats and hoops to jump through to use TrumpRx — you know, like most healthcare-related programs in the U.S.

What’s also murky is how much the discount program could save the consumer or if there are better, cheaper options available elsewhere.

What is TrumpRx?

TrumpRx.gov has been live as an informational page since the fall, but was officially launched on Feb. 5. The president has promised that his administration will deliver the cheapest prescription drug prices in the world.

The White House says the prices listed on TrumpRx were brokered through “Most Favored Nation” agreements with pharmaceutical companies, a model that links U.S. prices to the lowest in other developed countries. Five companies are participating: AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer.

"You're going to see numbers that you're not going to believe,” Trump said at a launch event at the White House on Feb. 6, referring to the prices available on TrumpRx.

So far there are 43 drugs listed on TrumpRx, and their discounts vary dramatically: The cheapest figure is $3.15, while the most expensive reaches more than $5,500. The administration says more offerings will be added. (There are more than 20,000 prescription drugs approved for marketing, according to the FDA.)

TrumpRx is primarily for people who are buying out-of-pocket without insurance. Medicaid recipients are unlikely to benefit since nearly all prescription drugs are covered with little or no copay. For those with private insurance, there are cases when discounts could reduce costs — for example, when a newer, specialty name brand drug isn’t covered or easily approved by insurance.

For example, without insurance coverage, Zepbound — a weight loss medication — could be over $1,000 out of pocket; the discount price that’s listed on TrumpRx is $300. But there’s no coupon available, which means in order to get the discount people will need to go through LillyDirect, which owns Zepbound.

The fine print matters, too: The $199 discount price for Ozempic, another weight loss medication, is only good for the first two monthly injection fills before the price shoots up to $499 per month for higher doses.

Discounts could also benefit those with high-deductible plans who want to lower their upfront costs. But since purchases won’t count toward out-of-pocket limits, patients may still have to meet their deductible for other care, limiting the overall financial benefit.

Some independent analysts and health care experts have expressed skepticism about how many Americans will meaningfully benefit from TrumpRx offerings. An analysis by STAT News, a health care news site, found that at least 18 brand-name drugs listed on TrumpRx have cheaper generic versions on other discount drug sites.

In some cases, TrumpRx coupons aren’t offering anything new. Discounts often mirror prices that drugmakers already make available through their own direct-pay programs. For example, TrumpRx lists multiple fertility drugs — Gonal-F ($168), Cetrotide ($22.50), and Ovidrel ($84) — at the exact same direct-pay prices offered by their manufacturers.

How to use TrumpRx

Step 1: Visit TrumpRx.gov

Step 2: Search for your medication.

Step 3: Identify the drug’s coupon then hit “Print coupon” or “Add to wallet.”

Step 4: For some drugs, you may need to confirm you aren’t enrolled in any government-funded insurance program. You also have to agree that you won’t seek insurance reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs, or count them toward your private insurance deductible or true out-of-pocket costs.

Step 5: Go to your pharmacy with your prescription and coupon to access savings. In some cases, there may not be a coupon, and TrumpRx may instead point you to manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer self-pay websites.

How to compare TrumpRx discounts with your copay

If you have insurance, always compare the cost listed on TrumpRx with your copay or coinsurance. It may take a little legwork, but it can save you money.

The fastest way to check what a prescription will cost under your insurance plan is often to talk to your pharmacy directly. Once they have your prescription and insurance information, they can see your copay or coinsurance right away.

For more detail, use your insurer’s website or app — some plans may have an online tool to estimate your out-of-pocket costs. You can also call your insurer’s prescription benefits line to confirm exact out-of-pocket costs.

Other options for prescription drug discounts

TrumpRx isn’t the only option to find prescription drug discounts. Here are some other options that already exist:

Prescription drug coupons, savings cards and price comparison:

• GoodRx.

• RxSaver. 

• SingleCare.

• Optum Perks.

• Walgreens Rx savings finder. 

• AARP prescription discount card.

• America’s pharmacy discount card. 

Direct-to-consumer prescription drug platforms:

• Blink Health: Pay for prescriptions online at the lowest prices and pick up or get delivery. 

• Cost Plus Drug Company: Entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy, which ships mostly generic prescriptions directly to patients.

• Walmart $4 Prescriptions program: Low-cost generic drugs at Walmart pharmacies. 

• Manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs (PAPs): Free or reduced-cost drugs directly from manufacturers. Visit drug manufacturer websites to learn more.   

Charitable foundation assistance with certain medication costs:

• PAN Foundation.

• Accessia Health. 

• CancerCare.

• HealthWell Foundation.

• Good Days. 

• The National Organization for Rare Disorders.

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images News via Getty Images)