Florida is considering a change to what drugs are covered by state employee healthcare plans.
Part of the House's budget proposal includes changes to state law requiring a process called formulary management for the plan. That means the state will maintain a list of approved medications. That practice is common in health insurance providers.
The change comes as the state health insurance program faces a $350 million budget shortfall during the 2026/2027 year.
DeFuniak Springs Republican Representative Shane Abbott said during a committee meeting Monday that the change could save over $125 million annually because it would allow the state to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. He said patients would still be able to get medications not on that list, but doctors would have to go through an administrative process to get it approved.
"The reason we're able to get drugs cheaper in the Medicaid space is because of a formulary, and there are exceptions to be able to get approval for drugs outside of that formulary. So, the doctor will have to do a little more paperwork, send in why that particular medication is necessary and other medications won't work," he said.
Almost 200,000 people are on the State Group Insurance Program. This proposal is part of a larger budget bill that still needs to get approved in the House Appropriations committee and survive negotiations with the Senate.
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