Health News Florida
December 18, 2019
A Tampa lawmaker is hoping to lower drug prices and improve care for Floridians by regulating companies that serve as middlemen in the health care industry.
Rep. Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, filed legislation on Tuesday that would rein in the industry that helps decide how consumers get their pharmaceuticals and how much they will pay for them. Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, such as CVS Caremark, Optum RX and Express Scripts control roughly 80 percent of the market in Florida and around the country. That means they have a large say in which medications make it on a list of drugs that are covered by insurance companies.
“This comprehensive piece of legislation will create transparency from prescription drug pricing and positively affect patients’ wallets at the pharmacy,” Toledo said during a press conference in Tampa to announce the bill.
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