Released on December 9 2021 – Governor Ron DeSantis’ Freedom First budget recommendations empower the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to prioritize patients and providers, empower consumers, and promote high quality care for all Floridians.
“Since taking office, Governor DeSantis has directed our Agency to identify opportunities to empower patients in making more informed health care decisions and ensure that high quality care is accessible to the most vulnerable,” said AHCA Secretary Simone Marstiller. “The Freedom First budget bolsters this commitment by increasing transparency in prescription drug prices and supporting the continued growth of Florida’s health care industry.”
Highlights from Governor DeSantis’ budget recommendations for the Agency include:
Nearly $4 million to Increase Transparency in Prescription Drug Prices
From day one, Governor DeSantis has worked to empower consumers in making more informed health care decisions. The Freedom First budget builds on these efforts by providing $950,000 to modernize Florida’s prescription drug price transparency portal, known as MyFloridaRx. The funds will support a more consumer friendly design and increase the number of publicly available drug prices.
The Freedom First budget invests an additional $3 million to analyze Medicaid pharmacy claims for potential fraud, waste, and abuse and ensure contract compliance of all Medicaid pharmacy benefit managers.
More than $167 million to Strengthen Florida’s Growing Health Care Industry
The Freedom First budget fully funds Florida’s Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities who continue to provide high quality care while facing unprecedented workforce challenges.
Following Florida’s repeal of antiquated certificate of need laws for hospitals, the Freedom First budget provides $625,000 to the Agency’s Office of Plans and Construction to recruit and retain qualified architects and engineers to conduct timely design reviews and construction surveys of new health care facilities.
The Freedom First budget invests an additional $166 million in Florida’s direct care providers to ensure continued access to high quality care for the most vulnerable Floridians.
$120 million to Prioritize Technology Initiatives that Promote Coordinated Care
The Freedom First budget provides $120 million to support the continuation of the Florida Health Care Connections (FX) project and to recruit and retain the technical talent necessary to support the multi-year effort to enhance the provider and recipient experience, improve access to and quality of health care data, and enhance integration between state of Florida agencies that service similar populations.
The Agency for Health Care Administration is committed to better health care for all Floridians. The Agency administers Florida’s Medicaid program, licenses and regulates more than 48,000 health care facilities and 47 health plans, and publishes health care data and statistics at www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov. Additional information about Agency initiatives is available via Facebook (AHCAFlorida) and Twitter (@AHCA_FL)
