This issue brief examines the prescription drug benefit available for Medicaid beneficiaries in Broward and Duval counties, the two pilot counties for Florida’s Medicaid reform program that began enrollment in September 2006. The research shows that half of the HMOs participating in the pilot are using the increased flexibility to limit their drug benefit. It also reports that beneficiaries, particularly those with disabilities and those who take multiple medications, have reported problems in accessing the prescriptions they need.

This issue brief was released as part of the Assessing Florida’s Medicaid Reform project, conducted by researchers at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute and funded by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.