NY Times: “Florida’s insurance regulator has demanded an unusually intrusive trove of data on millions of prescription drugs filled in the state last year, including the names of patients taking the medications, their dates of birth and doctors they’ve seen.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in January sought this information from pharmacy benefit managers like UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx and CVS Health’s Caremark, companies that oversee prescription drugs for employers and government programs.
It remained unclear why the state was ordering the submission of so much data. In a letter to one benefit manager reviewed by The New York Times, the regulator said the state required the data to review whether the benefit managers, known as P.B.M.s, were compliant with a 2023 state law aimed at lowering drug prices and reining in the managers.
But the demand is sparking concerns about government overreach and patient privacy.”