Healthcare Initiatives
Florida is a leader in biomedical innovation, consumer driven healthcare, and Medicaid Reform. Despite these advances, health insurance, including prescription medications, is often unaffordable. Governor Crist has four initiatives aimed at improving healthcare in the state of Florida.
First, Governor Crist will work to make healthcare more affordable by leveraging the power of Floridians to negotiate better prices for prescription drugs. This can be accomplished by negotiating with the drug industry to obtain volume discounts on drugs and passing the savings on to those struggling to pay for their prescriptions through the use of prescription drug cards. The Governor will encourage competition in the private marketplace to benefit all consumers and provide more information to them about drug costs. Finally, the Governor will work with Congress to create conditions for the safe and affordable importation of drugs from Canada.
Second, Governor Crist will work to improve access to care by increasing healthcare options so that emergency care is not the only choice, strengthening health in our rural communities, and increasing the quality of emergency care. The Governor will work to minimize the red tape in the building of new health facilities and increasing the availability of home and community based services.
Third, Governor Crist advocates for a commitment to prevention. He believes the Department of Health should be refocused and headed by the State Surgeon General who will serve as the state’s leading advocate for wellness. This executive office would promote school and workplace fitness and nutrition initiatives and encourage early intervention and awareness regarding substance abuse and mental illness.
Finally, Governor Crist believes in improving the quality of care through innovation. He will work to create standards for best practices to reduce hospital-acquired infections and improve outcomes in all healthcare settings by collecting and managing data on mistakes or oversights.