Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced another major policy initiative. He laid out his plan to import Canadian prescription drugs. In his announcement, he cited the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, which brought about Medicare Part D as the catalyst for what the state of Florida will do next. Part of the act passed in 2003 legalized the importation of Canadian prescription drugs contingent on the Department of Health and Human Services authorizing it. Sixteen years later the drug lobby’s efforts to block HHS from taking the next step have proven to be effective. The governor is looking to put an end to it.
Governor DeSantis said the next step is “working” with the Trump administration to enable the process for Floridians to gain access. If Ron’s effective in gaining access with the Trump administration in advance of the 2020 elections, clear motivation for the administration to look beyond the drug lobby, what could we expect to see in Florida?
According to a 2017 analysis by AARP, the average prescription drug cost in Canada for like drugs was an average of 45% less than in the United States. That’s obviously huge. Imagine cutting your prescription cost by anywhere near that amount.
The average Floridian on regularly prescribed drugs spends approximately $1,200 per year. That would equal savings of around $540 per year per person. Not bad, right?
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