Crist pitches drug plan
The governor hints that this may be just a first step.
By WILL VAN SANT and STEPHEN NOHLGREN, Times Staff Writers
Published December 21, 2007
CLEARWATER - Gov. Charlie Crist jetted across the state Thursday to tout the launch of a discount prescription drug program meant to benefit the 3.8-million Floridians who live without health insurance.
"Many working families and seniors have to struggle to afford prescription drugs," Crist said Thursday at a Publix pharmacy in Clearwater. "I'm frustrated by the cost of prescription drugs and I know our people are."
The program, modeled on one Ohio began in 2005, marshals bulk buying clout to negotiate discounts with drug manufacturers and pharmacies, much as insurance companies do for employers. Savings, which officials say could range between 5 and 42 percent in Florida, are passed along to program participants.
More and more states already have or are planning similar initiatives.
Ohio says its program saves participants 34 percent on their prescription costs. Oregon, which unlike Florida allows all residents to participate regardless of income, claims a 42 percent savings.
But savings are relative. Savvy buyers can sometimes find similar or better discounts by shopping around.
For example, the state's Web site for the new program (www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.com) says cardholders will pay $137.28 for Plavix, which fights blood clotting after a stroke. Costco sells the same 30-day supply to members for $134.33.
"Certainly anything that helps individual consumers get a break on the cost of prescription drugs is helpful," Marc Steinberg, deputy director for health policy at Families USA, said of drug cards. "But they are no substitute for insurance. It's very much a piecemeal approach."
Maine has one of the nation's more aggressive discount plans, using its Medicaid program as leverage.
Medicaid is a huge market for manufacturers. If the state doesn't like a price being offered to its Maine Rx Plus discount cardholders, it will require doctors on the state's Medicaid program to get preauthorization for that drug before they can prescribe it.
With competitive drugs like statins, "manufacturers hate to have preauthorization on their drugs," said Sharon Treat, a Maine legislator and director of the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices.
One study showed that the Maine card's prices were lower on average than Ohio's, Treat said, though both were higher than buying drugs over the Internet from Canada.
Other lower cost options are also available to some Floridians, like the prescriptions that Neighborly Care Network sells at wholesale rates at its pharmacy in the city of St. Petersburg's Sunshine Center.
Florida officials say savings will vary based on the quantity, type and brand of drug purchased. They acknowledged that retailers who buy in bulk may be able to offer a bigger savings.
Still, officials said savings with the card average between 5 and 42 percent on 10 commonly used prescription drugs. So far, the discount cards will be accepted at Publix, Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreens pharmacies. Crist said he's pushing others to join.
The state has contracted with Ohio's Envision Pharmaceutical Services to help manage the program. A one-time $1.50 "activation fee" will be charged the first time someone uses the card.
An additional $1.50 will be tacked onto the cost of every prescription to pay for Envision's services, said AHCA spokesman Fernando Senra.
Crist also hinted that Florida would explore further options with its drug program.
"We're just getting started," he said. "You will see a lot more out of this administration dedicated to expanding health coverage to our fellow Floridians as we move into '08."
Officials say they plan an aggressive enrollment campaign and will promote the program through health clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and community centers.
"This rollout today is just the beginning," said Bob Butterworth, secretary of the Department of Children & Families. "We are working to identify areas of the state where Floridians are most in need."
Who qualifies?
People over 60 without prescription drug insurance. Those who fall in the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap, sometimes called the "doughnut hole," can use the card to defray costs.
Those younger than 60 also qualify, so long as their incomes fall below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. That amounts to $30,636 for an individual; $41,076 for a family of two and $61,956 for a family of four.
Online, phone help
To enroll, get more detailed information or find out whether there's a participating pharmacy near you, visit www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.comor call 1-866-341-8894/TTY 1-866-763-9630.
A little comparison shopping
Some typical prices under Florida's new discount drug program compared to a national retail discounter and other states' programs.
Aricept (10 mg, a brand name drug for dementia) $162.09 (1), $160.74 (2), $156.97 (3), $166.86 (4)
Simvastatin (10 mg, a generic choloresteol lowering drug) $18.75 (1), $19.00 (2), $6.67 (3), $6.32 (4)
Yasmin (brand birth control) $55.39 (1), $57.79 (2), $52.31 (3), $51.04 (4)
Source: Drug discount Web sites for Florida, Ohio, Oregon and Costco.