Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday vetoed a bill that could have led to changes in prescription drugs covered in the state employees’ health insurance program.
The bill (HB 5015) would have required the Department of Management Services, which oversees the program, to submit recommendations for managing the “formulary” of prescription drugs.
The recommendations would have gone to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, a panel of Senate and House members.
The department would have been required to only carry out recommendations approved by the panel, according to a House staff analysis.
Changes could have taken effect Jan. 1. But in a veto letter, DeSantis wrote that the bill would “have a negative impact on state employee families’ cost and access to prescription drugs and supplies.”
DeSantis added that while he supports developing recommendations “to reduce the rate at which costs are increasing, the implementation of the provisions contained in the bill will have a negative impact on thousands of Florida families.
Therefore, the recommendations should be carefully evaluated, with all options available for review and approval by the entirety of the Legislature.”
