Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has buy-in from President Trump to use Medicare to help Florida import cheaper drugs from Canada.
DeSantis, speaking at a press conference in the Villages in Florida on Wednesday, said he spoke to Trump Sunday and Monday and that the president was “enthusiastic” about the proposal and would take “necessary executive actions to make sure that we can act” through Medicare’s prescription drug program.
“Our state budget, we pay huge amounts of money for prescription drugs, including tens of millions of dollars for prisoners’ drugs … It’s a real burden on the taxpayer,” DeSantis said. “This is something that we will be doing in conjunction with the Trump administration. Basically, what we’re going to be doing is recognizing that some of these same drugs, if you were just in Canada, would be a fraction of the price.”
Canada has less expensive drugs than the U.S. because it has a government-funded healthcare system that negotiates drug prices. In contrast, in the U.S. people under Medicare get drug coverage through private plans that negotiate prices.
No state has implemented a similar plan. A measure passed in 2013 in Maine was struck down by a judge two years later. Vermont also clashed with the Food and Drug Administration when it unsuccessfully sued the agency in 2008 to allow drug re-importation from Canada. Still, the state ended up passing a bill the governor signed into law in 2018 but is looking at next steps now, with one report showing the measure may be more expensive than anticipated.
The proposal is popular with Democrats, and lately more Republicans have signaled they are open to the idea as well. The Senate Finance Committee is considering a bill that would allow drugs to be imported from Canada, and the Food and Drug Administration is also considering the feasibility of importing drugs from other countries.
The Trump administration and the Florida governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The pharmaceutical industry opposes allowing U.S. residents to buy cheaper drugs from foreign countries, saying that it would put patients in danger by opening the door to counterfeit or tainted products.
At the press conference in Florida, state House Speaker Jose Oliva, a Republican, vowed that he would work with DeSantis and Trump.
“[DeSantis’] relationship with the president is going to have a tremendous effect,” Oliva said.
