A new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) study indicates that policies enacted during President Donald Trump’s first term contributed to lowering insulin prices for some patients to below $35 for a typical 30‑day supply.
FOX Business has obtained the forthcoming report, slated for release early this week, which reveals that executive orders issued by President Trump in his first administration helped drive down insulin prices.
On July 24, 2020, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at reducing the cost of this life‑saving medication. The first order required federally qualified health centers to pass drugmaker discounts directly to patients rather than retaining them. The second permitted states to import safe insulin and created a pathway for personal importation waivers at authorized pharmacies. The third eliminated secret rebate arrangements between drug manufacturers and middlemen, ensuring discounts reach consumers directly. The fourth mandated that U.S. patients receive the lowest price paid in other countries, opening the door for Medicare to negotiate insulin payment terms.
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President Donald Trump signed four executive orders aimed at lowering insulin costs on July 24, 2020. (Samuel Corum/Girl/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Data illustrated in a chart comparing commercial and Medicare insulin prices indicate that the 2020 policies began reducing costs almost immediately. By the time the Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin at $35 in 2022, prices had already fallen well beneath that threshold. The act’s cap is frequently cited by the former president as a key achievement in insulin affordability.
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White House senior deputy press secretary Kush Desai remarked, “While Joe Biden tried taking credit for $35 insulin, the data is clear: this was President Trump’s success alone, and the second Trump administration continues to harness competition and consumer empowerment with TrumpRx to deliver more relief for everyday Americans.”
During a February 5, 2026, White House drug‑pricing event, President Trump addressed the audience while Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz listened. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
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Adam Gluck, head of U.S. corporate affairs at Sanofi, emphasized during a September 2025 announcement on $35 insulin dosing that the company will continue working with policymakers and healthcare stakeholders to develop sustainable, long‑term solutions that improve medication access.
Costco’s customer service website notes that even nonmembers can use its pharmacy services. (Toronto Star Archives/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Novo Nordisk said in January 2024 that it recognizes the difficulties patients face in affording insulin and remains committed to reducing out‑of‑pocket costs, simplifying the pricing system, and improving price predictability.