Author: AFHE Team
Daily Caller Op-Ed: Trump’s Drug Pricing Victories Are A Winning Issue — If Republicans Use Them
Spectrum News: Former Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup launches new health care advocacy coalition
AFHE Backs Rep. Greg Murphy’s Every Dollar Counts Act to Stop Insurers from Penalizing Patients Who Shop Smart
Washington, D.C. — Americans for Health Excellence (AFHE) applauded Rep. Greg Murphy’s (R-NC) introduction of the Every Dollar Counts Act, legislation that would ensure patients are no longer penalized for finding lower-cost medications. The bill would require commercial insurers to count prescription drug purchases made through cash-pay platforms toward patients’ deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, savings that today get absorbed by insurers instead of patients.
The policy is one of the most popular healthcare reforms tested in a new national survey of 2,000 likely voters conducted last month by McLaughlin & Associates for AFHE. 83% of voters support it, including 88% of Republicans, 79% of Democrats, and 81% of Independents — a +75 net margin that crosses every demographic line.
Executive Director Dr. Brad Wenstrup issued the following statement in response:
“President Trump has shown what can be possible when Washington gets out of the way — voluntary deals with manufacturers and platforms like TrumpRx are already delivering real savings to patients. Rep. Greg Murphy’s bill marks an important progression in healthcare reform by enabling patients to access affordable medications without being burdened by the excessive costs imposed by insurance company drug plans. This initiative empowers patients to benefit from cost-saving options, ensuring that their financial interests are prioritized and making essential treatments more accessible for everyone.
“Patients have faced an unfair dilemma for far too long — having to choose between securing the lowest possible price for their medications and receiving credit toward their insurance deductible. This situation is inherently unjust, as no individual should face penalties from their insurer simply for finding a more affordable option. The Every Dollar Counts Act addresses this inequity by putting the focus where it belongs: on fairness, greater affordability, and above all, on the needs of patients rather than the interests of insurance companies.
“Voters across the political spectrum have made themselves clear. It’s time for insurers to do their part to advance excellent health in America.”
AFHE urges Congress to act on the Every Dollar Counts Act without delay.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR HEALTH EXCELLENCE
Americans for Health Excellence (AFHE) is a 501(c)(4) health policy organization dedicated to building a healthcare system that puts patients first — lowering costs, expanding access, and ensuring every American has the tools and information to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. AFHE advances market-based solutions while engaging all in the healthcare system on behalf of patient health.
For more information, visit AmericansforHealthExcellence.org.
McLaughlin & Associates Polling Memo
POLITICO Playbook: IT’S THE AFFORDABILITY
POLITICO Pro: Trump’s Affordability Crunch
TRUMP’S AFFORDABILITY CRUNCH — A significant percentage of Americans support the White House’s push to use foreign trade negotiations to demand fair drug pricing, POLITICO’s Adam Wren reports.
About 81 percent of likely voters back “demanding that foreign countries pay their fair share for American medicines through fair trade negotiations,” and 73 percent support legislation ending “foreign freeloading” on U.S. drug innovation, according to new polling from McLaughlin and Associates, a firm led by pollsters who served as primary polling strategists for President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
The data was shared with Americans for Health Excellence, a new health care policy group established by former Ohio Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup. Seventy-nine percent back allowing more over-the-counter drugs.
The backdrop: The Trump administration said last week that it would levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on some brand-name pharmaceuticals as part of Trump’s aggressive campaign to compel manufacturers to lower drug prices to levels comparable to those in other developed nations. However, many foreign nations and drugmakers are eligible for carveouts as a result of negotiated pricing and trade deals.
The poll also showed that most likely voters — 51 percent — consider the cost of health insurance to be their top health care concern. Another 18 percent put it at No. 2.
AFHE plans to brief Republican lawmakers on the polling. And McLaughlin polls are known to circulate the West Wing, with Trump frequently posting them on Truth Social.
McLaughlin and Associates conducted its survey with 2,000 likely American voters via online interviews between March 10 and 14, 2026. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, with 95 percent confidence.
POLITICO Pulse: VOTERS’ TOP CONCERN
McLaughlin Poll: Health Insurance Costs Top Voter Concerns as Bipartisan Majorities Demand Reform
Washington, D.C. — Today, Americans for Health Excellence (AFHE), released a new national poll finding health insurance costs are the single greatest healthcare concern facing American voters today and that broad, bipartisan majorities are demanding action from insurers.
The survey also reveals support for a number of market-based solutions to lower what Americans pay for prescription drugs and medical care, including many policies included in the President’s Great American Health Plan.
“For the sake of our nation and her health, American patients need relief, and they need it now,” said Dr. Brad Wenstrup, Executive Director of Americans for Health Excellence. “America is the greatest country in the world for medical innovation and cures, and Congress has an extraordinary opportunity to protect that legacy while delivering on the affordability agenda President Trump started. There is more that we can do.”
KEY FINDINGS
Ending “Foreign Freeloading” Has Broad Backing
Nearly three-quarters of voters (72%) say it is time for other countries to pay their fair share for American medicines. Support for specific legislative action is even higher: 81% back using trade negotiations to demand fair pricing from foreign nations, and 73% support legislation explicitly ending “foreign freeloading” on U.S. drug innovation.
Health Insurance Costs Are Voters’ #1 Healthcare Concern and Voters Want Accountability
Fifty-one percent of voters name the cost of health insurance as their top healthcare concern—rising to 69% when combined with voters’ second choice. The remaining concerns are fragmented: cost of hospital bills (11%), cost of medicines (10%), quality of care (10%), access to healthcare (7%), and patient choice in doctors or treatments (6%). The dominance of insurance costs holds across party lines and is especially acute among voters with private insurance (76% combined) and seniors (72% combined).
The survey’s sharpest finding is that 91% of voters, including strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, support requiring insurers to pass manufacturer discounts directly to patients rather than keeping them. Eighty-four percent want insurers to publicly disclose their revenue, overhead, and profit margins, and 83% support publishing claim rejection rates and average wait times.
When asked whether taxpayer subsidies to large insurance companies should be redirected to families to buy coverage of their choice, voters backed the idea 81 to 11. Requiring insurers to publish revenues and ending insurance subsidies are both central provisions of President Trump’s Great American Health Plan.
Pocketbook Solutions Command the Highest Voter Support Across the Board
The most popular proposals which draw the strongest support are those that put direct, tangible savings in patients’ hands. Eighty-eight percent of voters back allowing manufacturer co-pay cards for seniors in Medicare, 86% support expanding the number of brand-name medicines available at discounted cash-pay pricing through a government website, and 83% favor both a flat out-of-pocket cap per prescription in Medicare and cash-pay credits that count toward insurance deductibles.
Voluntary Deals Beat Government Mandates
On prescription drug pricing, voters draw a clear distinction between negotiations and mandates. By nearly two-to-one (55 to 29%), respondents said voluntary price negotiations between the federal government and drug manufacturers are more productive than government-dictated prices through law or executive order. Three-quarters (73%) specifically back President Trump’s Most Favored Nation voluntary pricing approach.
Voter sentiment was firm: 83% say that with pharmaceutical manufacturers already at the table, it is time for insurers and hospitals to do their part—a view shared by 93% of Republicans, 81% of Independents, and 75% of Democrats.
ABOUT THE POLL
McLaughlin & Associates conducted a survey among 2,000 likely voters between March 10–14, 2026. All interviews were conducted online. The interview distribution and demographics reflect a 2026 general election turnout model. The accuracy of the sample of 2,000 likely voters is within +/- 2.2% at a 95% confidence interval. Numbers in this survey have been rounded and may not equal 100%.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR HEALTH EXCELLENCE
Americans for Health Excellence (AFHE) is a 501(c)(4) health policy organization dedicated to building a healthcare system that puts patients first — lowering costs, expanding access, and ensuring every American has the tools and information to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. AFHE advances market-based solutions while engaging all in the healthcare system on behalf of patient health.
For more information, visit AmericansforHealthExcellence.org.