TrumpRx.Gov vs. Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs: Which Saves Retirees More?
Written by
Andrew Lisa
Edited by
Angela Corry
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Billionaire celebrity Mark Cuban disrupted the prescription drug industry when he launched the digital pharmaceutical marketplace CostPlus Drugs in 2022. President Donald Trump recently announced a government-run rival platform called TrumpRx, which Reuters reports is scheduled to go live in early 2026.
So, which platform do retirees stand to save the most money by using to source their prescriptions? It will depend on the retiree, the prescription, variables like insurance coverage and the real-world functionality and savings that Trump’s still-conceptual platform brings to the table.
Here are the differences between the programs so far.
Different Discount Models
Both platforms vow to lower prices by eliminating the middleman in prescription drug delivery.
- Cuban’s CostPlus Drugs essentially serves as the middleman by adding a 15% markup to the direct-purchase cost of more than 2,300 medications, which it lists for each drug, plus a $5 pharmacy charge and a $5 shipping fee. It offers mostly generics, with some brand-name prescriptions.
- TrumpRx, on the other hand, will be a government-administered portal that points users to participating drug manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer websites to buy brand-name prescriptions out of pocket at reduced, “most-favored nation” prices.
Selection, Generics and Insurance vs. Cash Cost
According to the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer is the only pharmaceutical company to have agreed to the White House’s terms for TrumpRx as of Oct. 1, although the president says more partnerships are in the works. Currently, that limits the selection to only 313 drugs from one manufacturer.
The platform does not offer generics and does not accept insurance.
Cuban’s CostPlus Drugs accepts coverage from more than two dozen insurance providers and offers thousands of generic prescriptions at dramatically reduced prices.
Sample Cost Comparisons
The White House used three common Pfizer prescriptions to showcase the savings TrumpRx could deliver. The following outlines the cost for a 30-day supply of each without insurance on Amazon Pharmacy, the White House’s estimated savings and the average price with insurance. All three are still under patent and therefore do not have generic versions that might be listed on CostPlus Drugs, which consistently offers among the lowest available prices for generic medications.
Eucrisa
Xeljanz
- Cost without insurance: $6,195.10
- Projected TrumpRx discount: 40% off ($3,717.06)
- With insurance: $0
Zavzpret
Calculations like these compelled the Wall Street Journal to conclude that TrumpRx is unlikely to deliver savings to the 90% of Americans who have health insurance — and for retirees, Medicare is the insurance that matters most.
Always Compare to Medicare
Neither TrumpRx nor CostPlus Drugs accepts Medicare, which is likely to offer lower costs than both platforms, except in cases with unusually high copays. Research published in the Journal of Men’s Health found that CostPlus Drugs is sometimes, but not always, cheaper than Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage with prescription coverage, so always check your Medicare copay against the cash price on either platform.
More From GOBankingRates
