ArcaMax

Hello, Toni:

I am a 68-year-old male on a Medicare Advantage plan through my last employer. How does the new TrumpRx plan fit into Medicare? Currently, Express Scripts manages my Part D plan.

Thank you, Toni.

—Mike from Cypress, Texas

Hi, Mike:

On Feb. 5, 2026, TrumpRx, the new federal direct-to-consumer Web platform for discounted prescription drugs, was officially launched by the Trump administration. TrumpRx.gov aims to provide prices for many popular medicines similar to the lowest paid by other developed nations.

It is important that those enrolled in a Part D plan or employer/individual health insurance with prescription drug benefits know that TrumpR x will not lower the cost of your prescriptions in that specific plan. The TrumpRx coupon is for cash-only purchases, and the costs do not count toward your Medicare Part D deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Research which way costs less, either (1) your prescription drug Part D plan’s copays or cost of the covered prescription or (2) the prescription drug’s cost with the TrumpRx coupon discount.

It’s also important to know that the TrumpRx discount prescription drug plan is not considered a creditable Medicare Part D plan. Using TrumpR x or a discount prescription drug platform such as GoodRx will not keep you from getting a penalty for not enrolling in a Part D plan.

I would strongly advise those turning 65 not to wait but to enroll in a Part D plan during their seven-month Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). Otherwise you could be subject to a Part D penalty.

The 2026 Medicare Part D costs are as follows:

—Initial coverage deductible is up to $615 for 2026 and changes each year.

—Initial coverage has six drug tiers; the Part D plan pays its share of the cost of your drugs, and you pay your share until the amount of your out-of-pocket maximum is met. For 2026, $2,100 is the out-of-pocket maximum. Then you move into the catastrophic coverage stage and pay $0. (Remember, when you go through TrumpRx or other discount platforms such as GoodRx or Amazon Pharmacy to get discounts on your brand-name or generic prescriptions, the cost you pay will not count toward your $2,100 out-of-pocket maximum for 2026.)

—Catastrophic coverage: There is $0 out of pocket once a Medicare beneficiary enters the catastrophic coverage stage by meeting the $2,100 minimum. Medicare will pick up all costs of the prescriptions, whether brand-name or generic, with a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage with a Part D plan included.

—On January 1 of each year, the process starts all over again with a new Medicare Prescription Drug plan and new initial deductible and maximum initial coverage limit that leads you to the catastrophic coverage stage.

If you’re concerned about paying the $2,100 maximum out of pocket, use the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, a payment option that began Jan. 1, 2025, to help manage your out-of-pocket drug costs by spreading your monthly prescription drug costs throughout the year from January to December. For more information about the payment plan, visit www.medicare.gov or call your Medicare Part D plan.

It is important for those enrolling in Medicare to know how to open a www.medicare.gov account, which has your Medicare information, before enrolling in a Medicare Part D plan, whether a stand-alone Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with Part D included, like the one that you, Mike, are enrolled in. Once you have opened your Medicare.gov account, you can go online and begin searching for your prescription drug plan by clicking on “Find health and drug plans” and following the steps.

Remember, with Medicare, what you don’t know WILL hurt you!

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Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare, Social Security and long-term care issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays.com to keep up to date on Medicare changes.

©2026 Toni King. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2026 Toni King, Distributed by Counterpoint Media