JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Duval DOGE Special Committee said Wednesday it has identified $4.2 million in potential annual savings within the city’s employee pharmacy benefit plan.
Councilman Ron Salem, chairman of the committee, emphasized the importance of acting quickly to capture these savings.
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“We have a responsibility to ensure every taxpayer dollar is used efficiently while maintaining quality healthcare coverage for our dedicated city employees,” Salem said.
The committee’s findings come after a review of the pharmacy program, conducted in partnership with The Bailey Group. DOGE said the review uncovered structural inefficiencies, vendor contract issues, and cost containment opportunities that could save taxpayers millions without reducing employee benefits.
A major source of savings is switching the city’s pharmacy benefit manager from Prime to Express Scripts, which offers higher guaranteed rebates—$10.7 million compared to Prime’s $6.4 million.
The transition could be completed within approximately 90 days, Salem said, and preserve the integrity and competitiveness of employee benefits.
The committee said it will present the recommendations to the Mayor’s Office for consideration. If adopted, DOGE says it will lead to immediate cost savings in next year’s budget.
The Mayor’s Office sent the following statement in response to the Bailey Group analysis.
“The discussion in today’s meeting and the Bailey Group recommendations did not appear to account for the actions already taken by the city. As even DOGE committee members have noted, implementation of group health plan benefits is an executive function. While we will always welcome input, the administration has a world class consultant that has explored and implemented solutions which have already delivered more than $12 million in savings. We’re concerned that the analysis isn’t a true apples-to-apples comparison of the plans and could negatively impact the quality of care that employees currently receive.”
Phil Perry, Chief Communications Officer
RELATED: Jacksonville councilmembers consider permanent oversight committee to replace Duval DOGE
Following the meeting, Councilman Salem told News4JAX he supports establishing an independent council committee focused on government spending oversight, separate from the finance committee, to improve transparency and accountability.
Councilmember Rory Diamond proposed two options for this oversight committee: a standalone entity or a subcommittee of the finance committee.