Trump touts lower drug costs and anti-fraud measures in lengthy State of the Union The president steered clear of more divisive subjects, including vaccines and science funding cuts

https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/24/trump-state-union-health-plan-drug-prices-maha/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--wgc0xK3IEmy4VFCXbUb_HibqErS-eUfVUaRUNa8XA0i6enr97Tn2D07ZPKQqKYsU7Q_ZN1G_LqZ-PjN0iZNZhmN1xSQ&_hsmi=405477496&utm_content=405477496&utm_source=hs_email By Chelsea Cirruzzo and John WilkersonFeb. 24, 2026 In the first State of the Union address of his second term, President Donald Trump played the health care hits, touting lowered drug prices even as more than half of Americans say health care has become more unaffordable for them and their families. https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-health-care-costs-expiring-aca-tax-credits-and-the-2026-midterms/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8LJstbqosP54jTB5nswXkCxHyKACSwEVpq8OqB0JdMvdv0oxumcuQqp9S2FydL5ySmqspbgLBHzDJFmLTL0eBhZwwC9w&_hsmi=405477496&utm_content=405477496&utm_source=hs_email In his speech, Trump claimed he had brought prescription drug costs from the highest in the world to the lowest, thanks to his most-favored nation policy. And he implored congressional Republicans to codify the policy into law, lest his successor hike prescription drug prices. (A STAT analysis of the brands on TrumpRx found that many are available as cheaper generics elsewhere, despite Trump on Tuesday night touting TrumpRx and his other drug pricing policies as a “big achievement.") https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/06/trumprx-discount-drug-website-undercut-by-cheaper-generics/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9GNBEh_eJl4mbFNI2rwnXN66KSrNCOiA8DwTqCqkVu4t9nYRsYOrId3MB2YhpNkdcIYMwLmWEDqB8KrCjrNeUsme3swA&_hsmi=405477496&utm_content=405477496&utm_source=hs_email He also said he wants to shift more government funding from premium tax credits to health accounts that resemble health savings accounts, promised to crack down on fraud in government programs, and said states should not be allowed to make decisions on issues like gender-affirming care without parental consent. Missing from the speech were several hot button issues that have consumed his administration’s HHS over the last few months, including shifting vaccine mandates and major cuts to health and science funding. Read STAT’s full rundown here. — Chelsea Cirruzzo and John Wilkerson