How much is this going to cost me?
No matter your health situation, you’ve probably asked that question after getting a new medication prescription and dreaded the answer.
There are ways to shop for the lowest drug prices — websites like GoodRx, WellRx, RxSaver and Cost Plus Drugs offer searchable platforms and information on securing discounts.
Now President Donald Trump’s new prescription drug website TrumpRx.gov introduces another option. Like many similar sites, TrumpRx is a searchable database and its pricing discounts are available only to people who are not using insurance to pay. But it largely lacks generic medications, offers limited drug information and its discounts often come with other stipulations. Here’s how and when to use TrumpRx in your quest to find the best prices.
What does TrumpRx.gov offer?
As of March 4, TrumpRx offered discounts on 43 brand name prescription medications and Insulin Lispro, an authorized generic insulin medication.
The site includes discounts for brand name fertility medications, inhalers that help manage COPD and asthma, and weight loss medications, including GLP-1s. It also lists medications that treat eczema, diabetes, yeast infections and menopause symptoms or help you quit smoking.
In most cases, TrumpRx offers printable or downloadable discount coupons to show to participating pharmacies. In other instances, TrumpRx directs its users to the drug manufacturer’s website to find savings information.
TrumpRx.gov often provides coupons for prescription medication discounts at certain pharmacies. (Screenshot from TrumpRx.gov)
What doesn’t TrumpRx offer?
TrumpRx does not offer discounts on the vast majority of the more than 20,000 FDA-approved prescription drugs on the market. And apart from Insulin Lispro, it doesn’t include generic medication discounts. Generics are typically cheaper and work the same way as brand-name drugs, despite having small differences such as different inactive ingredients.
When assessing your prescription price options, check whether your prescribed medication has an approved generic. If it does and you run online cost comparisons, be sure to consider the generic’s cost, too. As long as your doctor didn’t specify to only use a brand name drug, a pharmacist should be able to give you the generic.
A White House spokesperson told us that the administration hopes to eventually extend the TrumpRx benefits to all Americans, whether they’re using insurance or not, through legislation.
(PolitiFact analysis)
What should you do if you have insurance?
When you look at any individual drug, TrumpRx encourages you to check your insurance copay first because “it may be even lower” than the TrumpRx savings. The website says its discounts are “only available for cash-paying patients.”
The drug discount sites GoodRx, RxSaver and WellRx have the same limitation.
You have a new prescription… Now what?
First, talk to your pharmacist.
A pharmacist will tell you if your insurance doesn’t cover a prescription or, if it does, what your copay will be. The pharmacist can also advise whether switching to a more affordable generic is possible, said Sujith Ramachandran, a University of Mississippi pharmacy administration professor.
If your insurance doesn’t cover your prescription and there are no lower-cost generics, Vanderbilt University health policy professor Stacie Dusetzina recommended asking your doctor or pharmacist about other treatment options that might be covered, or the cheapest way to get the medication you need.
A pharmacist is likely to know about any prescription assistance programs or discount cards. Drug manufacturers and nonprofit groups sometimes sponsor these programs and, for eligible patients, they often provide better deals than discount cards, Ramchandran said.
“Independent community pharmacists that are not overworked/understaffed and are actually a part of the community may be more likely to be helpful than a chain pharmacy,” Ramachandran said in an email.
Your pharmacist might also direct you to online platforms and the discount cards they offer.
When does it make sense to turn to online platforms such as TrumpRx?
If you’ve exhausted all options to lower the price of the medication, or your insurance just doesn’t cover it, it probably makes sense to try platforms like GoodRx, WellRx, RxSaver, TrumpRx and Cost Plus Drugs, entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s company that sells prescription medications at cost plus a 15% markup.
Dusetzina recommended patients “always check multiple sites.”
And pay close attention to any discount card caveats. Some TrumpRx discounts, for example, can’t be used if you are enrolled in a government insurance plan such as Medicare or Medicaid.
The TrumpRx website includes information about how the discounts can be used with stipulations listed in small text beneath the downloadable coupons. (Screenshot from TrumpRx.gov)
If I buy drugs using TrumpRx discounts, will that count toward my insurance deductible?
No. People using insurance might initially pay steep prices for their drugs, but it will count toward their deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums and insurers might cover more of a drug’s costs after the deductible is met. So, before you buy, consider how much you’ll pay for the medication long-term.
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This story originally appeared on PolitiFact
