[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 59 (Thursday, May 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E714-E715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     OUR VETERANS DESERVE BETTER ACCESS TO PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 3, 2001

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
permit veterans to obtain prescription medications from Veterans 
Affairs (VA) hospitals by using prescriptions written by their family 
doctor.
  Our nation's veterans are entitled to seek care at VA facilities for 
illnesses incurred not only during their active duty service but also 
for post-service conditions. Because the VA recognizes that some 
veterans have more acute illnesses or injuries, all veterans seeking 
care are placed in one of seven priority categories, with veterans 
suffering from severe service-connected disabilities receiving higher 
priority and immediate attention, and those veterans in generally good 
health and with income exceeding a certain threshold receiving a lower 
priority for scheduling of care.
  Presently, veterans without severe service-connected disabilities and 
whose income is above the level that makes them eligible for free care 
may obtain needed medications at VA facilities for the very reasonable 
cost of $2 per prescription per 30-day supply. However, VA facilities 
only dispense prescription medications to veterans who have received 
prescriptions from VA physicians after an outpatient visit. While I 
have heard from many veterans who would like to take advantage of 
reduced-cost prescription medications, those who are not severely 
disabled, poor, or suffering from service-connected ailments are

[[Page E715]]

faced with waiting periods for the necessary outpatient visits that 
stretch from several months to over a year. This places an unnecessary 
financial burden upon our veterans who may be forced to pay retail 
prices for prescription drugs in the months before they can get in to 
see a VA primary care physician. This policy can also impose a health 
burden, as this extensive wait sometimes discourages veterans from 
seeking VA medication treatment altogether.
  My legislation would allow veterans immediate access to prescription 
medications offered through the VA by allowing our veterans to use 
prescriptions written by their family physician to receive the VA's 
reduced-cost prescription drugs.
  Not only will this facilitate timely access to needed medications, 
but this bill would reduce the caseload of outpatient visits that 
health care personnel at VA facilities must cope with daily in the 
delivery of care to our veterans. The effect of this legislation would 
be to permit VA facilities to devote more time and resources to 
assisting those veterans who require inpatient care.
  I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation to give 
our nation's veterans prompt access to the prescription medications 
that they need and have earned.

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