It’s been less than a week since the Trump administration launched TrumpRx, and the headlines are already flying. The promise? “Historic” price drops on more than 40 popular prescription drugs.
The reality? It’s a little more complicated.
If you’ve visited the site since it went live on February 5, you probably noticed it looks less like a government agency and more like a standard discount finder. That’s because, under the hood, it’s largely powered by partnerships with existing players like GoodRx and direct-to-consumer manufacturer programs.
So, is it a lifeline for your wallet or just another website to bookmark? As with most financial tools, the answer depends entirely on your specific situation.
Here are three reasons you’ll love it, and three reasons you might want to stick with your current pharmacy.
Why you’ll love TrumpRx
1. The fertility drug discounts are real
If you’ve ever paid for fertility treatments out of pocket, you know the sticker shock is agonizing. This is one area where the new portal actually shines.
The site lists Gonal-F, a common fertility medication, for around $168. Compare that to the typical cash price at specialty pharmacies—often upwards of $400—and you’re looking at legitimate, mortgage-payment-sized savings over the course of a treatment cycle. For niche, high-cost brand-name drugs like this, the “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing model seems to be working.
2. It’s a safety net for the uninsured
If you don’t have health insurance, or if you’re in that terrified limbo between jobs, the “cash price” is the only price that matters.
TrumpRx is effectively a cash-pay marketplace. You aren’t running these purchases through insurance (more on that in a minute), which means you don’t need prior authorization or a specific insurance card to get the deal.
If you’ve been paying full retail price at the counter for brand-name drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, the discounts here—while not always rock-bottom—will certainly beat the unnegotiated list price.
3. It forces transparency
For years, we’ve complained that finding the price of a drug is harder than buying a used car. The best thing about this new portal is that it centralizes the data.
Even if you don’t buy from the site, using it as a price anchor is smart. You can see exactly what the manufacturer has agreed to sell it for directly. If your local pharmacy is charging double that, you have the leverage to ask why, or simply walk away.
It puts a “floor” on the price of these 43 specific medications that didn’t exist before.
Why you’ll hate TrumpRx
1. It ignores your deductible
This is the single biggest “gotcha” for insured patients. Because TrumpRx (and the manufacturer programs it links to) operates outside the insurance system, every dollar you spend there likely won’t count toward your annual deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
If you have a $5,000 deductible and you spend $2,000 on medications through this site, you are still $5,000 away from your insurance kicking in. For many people with chronic conditions, it’s often mathematically smarter to pay the higher insurance rate early in the year to hit that deductible faster.
If you are struggling with these calculations, check out our guide on maximizing a high-deductible health plan to see if going outside your insurance is actually worth it.
2. The generic prices aren’t competitive
The portal focuses heavily on brand-name “blockbuster” drugs. If you are taking a common generic—like lisinopril for blood pressure or atorvastatin for cholesterol—you probably won’t find the best deal here.
Services like Mark Cuban’s CostPlus drug company or even Walmart’s $4 generic list often beat the government portal’s pricing on generics. Always check those sites first before assuming the “official” government site has the lowest price.
3. It’s limited to about 40 drugs
If you take one of the 43 drugs currently listed—great. If you take anything else, the site is currently useless to you.
While the administration says more drugs are coming, the current list is tiny compared to the thousands of FDA-approved medications on the market. If you rely on less common medications, or older brand-name drugs that haven’t been targeted for these specific price negotiations, you’re still going to need to shop around using other tools.
The bottom line
TrumpRx is a useful tool, but it isn’t a magic wand. It’s essentially a new competitor in the discount card space, backed by federal negotiating pressure.
My advice? Treat it like any other store. Check the price there, compare it to your insurance copay, and verify it against other discount sites. If the math works, use it. If not, don’t let the presidential seal on the website convince you it’s the best deal in town.
And if you’ve already spent a fortune on care this year, don’t forget to check if you can slash your taxes with medical expenses.
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