Follow the Money: Fixing Florida’s Prescription Drug Costs Through Accountability
Floridians are being crushed by rising prescription drug costs, and like so many other issues, the truth is buried behind layers of contracts, middlemen, and vague explanations. You are told prices are high because of manufacturers, or supply chains, or policy decisions somewhere far removed from your daily life. But the reality is much simpler. When money moves through a system without transparency or accountability, costs go up. Every single time.
As your Chief Financial Officer, I am not going to pretend that this office controls health care policy or dictates medical decisions. That is not the role of the CFO. But what this office does control is just as powerful. It controls oversight of taxpayer dollars, financial accountability, and the ability to audit how money is being spent across state government. And when it comes to prescription drugs, that is exactly where the problem lives.
If taxpayer dollars are being used to fund prescription drug programs, whether directly or through contracts with third parties, then it is the responsibility of the CFO to ensure those dollars are not being wasted, misused, or quietly redirected through backdoor pricing schemes. That is where I will focus, and that is where we will start making real progress.
On day one, I will initiate a full financial audit of state related prescription drug spending. This is not about interfering with doctors or limiting patient care. It is about identifying how much we are paying, who we are paying, and whether those costs are justified. That includes reviewing pharmacy benefit manager contracts, rebate arrangements, administrative fees, and any financial structure that impacts the final price paid by the state and ultimately by you, the taxpayer.
Right now, too much of this system operates in the dark. Discounts are negotiated behind closed doors. Rebates are promised but not clearly tracked. Administrative fees are buried in contracts that the public never sees. Meanwhile, families continue to pay more at the pharmacy counter. That disconnect is unacceptable, and it is exactly what happens when no one is watching the financial side closely enough.
We are going to change that. My office will push for full financial transparency in any contract that involves state dollars. We will work with agencies like AHCA and DMS to require clear reporting on drug pricing structures, rebates, and fees. I am not taking control of those agencies. I am doing what the CFO is supposed to do, making sure the financial side of these agreements is honest, efficient, and in the best interest of Floridians.
And when we find waste, and we will, I will not sit on a report and let it collect dust. I will take those findings directly to the Legislature and to the public. Real change does not come from political talking points. It comes from documented facts that cannot be ignored. When you can show exactly where money is being lost or manipulated, it becomes much harder for anyone to defend the status quo.
This is also about giving power back to the people. We will publish our findings in a way that is easy to understand, so Floridians can see for themselves how their money is being spent. If something does not make sense, if something looks wrong, the public should be able to question it. Transparency is not just about disclosure. It is about accountability.
Let me be clear. This is not about attacking health care providers or limiting access to necessary medications. This is about making sure that the financial system behind prescription drugs is not taking advantage of the people it is supposed to serve. There is a difference, and it matters.
Floridians are tired of being told that nothing can be done. They are tired of watching costs rise while answers remain vague and incomplete. As your Chief Financial Officer, I will do what this office was designed to do. I will follow the money, expose the truth, and demand accountability wherever taxpayer dollars are being spent.
Because when you bring transparency to a broken system, you do not just reveal the problem. You create the pressure needed to fix it.
Accountability. Integrity. Florida First.
