Since pirate times, the phrase “x marks the spot” has been a term for where to find buried treasure. Unfortunately for 21st-century policymakers, solutions to challenges facing their constituents are usually not so clearly marked.
Nowhere is this more true than in healthcare. The out-of-control cost of healthcare is one of the few things that people of all political stripes can agree on. In December, satisfaction with the cost of healthcare hit an all-time low of 16%. With about 11% of the country employed in healthcare, we can imagine what that Venn diagram looks like.
People aren’t just dissatisfied — they’re furious and scared. With housing and other expenses increasingly out of reach for the average person, the threat of an unexpected and unaffordable health expense weighs heavy. As Boomers get older, these costs are going to become an increasingly bigger problem for the federal government to afford.
While lawmakers are right to consider policies that deliver relief for patients, not all solutions are created equal. Enter TrumpRx, which empowers patients to access prescription medications at the lowest prices without imposing blanket price controls that could do more harm than good in the long run. TrumpRx offers a tangible example of how direct engagement and transparency can produce savings.
Importantly, TrumpRx does so without threatening American pharmaceutical leadership. About 40% of the world’s new medicines are developed in the United States, which means that leadership is vital both for our economy and the good of humankind. TrumpRx demonstrates that lowering drug prices and supporting innovation are not mutually exclusive goals.
Measurable progress on prescription drug affordability without undermining a thriving U.S. industry is a win for Republicans as we head into the critical 2026 midterm elections. Voters need solutions that save them money, not ideological experiments that might carry long-term risks.
The data support this. One poll found that 70% of respondents agreed with the idea that “health insurance companies should be forced to cover all drugs offered on the new government website without marking up the price” — referring to TrumpRx. For years, Democrats have tried to score political points with solutions that claimed to lower prices for consumers. Given how Obamacare has been a windfall for fraud and insurance companies’ profits, people are sick of unfulfilled promises. TrumpRx is a more meaningful move that will actually save the public money without undercutting U.S. industry.
If this is successful, it will preclude the need to codify the Most Favored Nation approach to slashing healthcare costs. The MFN proposals would tie U.S. drug prices to the lowest prices paid by foreign governments, many of which rely on centralized price controls and restricted access to contain costs. That may be a good stick to wave to get short-term results, but in the long run a domestic market-driven solution such as the one presented with TrumpRx is better.
To maximize the impact of the president’s patient-focused approach, Congress must ensure that insurers do their part as well. Savings realized by lower-cost purchasing models such as TrumpRx should count toward patients’ deductibles, rather than being absorbed elsewhere in the system (frequently by the taxpayer). Without accountability, even well-designed reforms can fall short of reaching the people they are meant to help.
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Where predecessors have fallen short on healthcare, the Trump White House has shown the potential to finally succeed – pushing forward meaningful reform that improves access and affordability, without undermining U.S. leadership in pharmaceutical innovation.
The people deserve access to treatments at the lowest costs, and policymakers should continue pushing for reforms that deliver meaningful savings. TrumpRx exemplifies the approach that has brought the Trump administration success, oftentimes unheralded — smart dealmaking. Luckily for Congress, President Donald Trump has made the solution for lower-cost medicines clear and uncomplicated — TrumpRx truly marks the spot.
Policymakers must now follow the administration’s lead to ensure this solution can deliver for patients.
Jared Whitley is a longtime politico who has worked in the U.S. Senate, the White House, and defense industry. He has an MBA from Hult business school in Dubai, and in 2024 he won the Top of the Rockies best columnist award.