[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 32 (Thursday, February 27, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E322-E323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IMPROVE VETERANS' ACCESS TO PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2003

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, today I am again introducing legislation, 
the Veterans Medication Accessibility Act, which would permit veterans 
to obtain prescription medications from Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals 
using prescriptions written by their family doctor. This legislation is 
identical to H.R. 1717, a bill I introduced in the last Congress.
  Our nation's veterans are eligible to receive health care at VA 
facilities for illnesses and injuries that are not only service-related 
but also those incurred after their service. Because the VA 
acknowledges that some veterans have more severe ailments, a veteran is 
placed in one of seven priority categories when seeking care. Those 
with serious service-connected disabilities are placed in a high 
priority category while those in generally good health and with income 
exceeding a certain amount are placed in a lower priority group for 
scheduling of care.
  Currently, those veterans that do not have service-connected injuries 
and whose income is above the level that makes them eligible for free 
care may fill their prescriptions at VA facilities for the low cost of 
$7 per prescription per 30-day supply. However, in order to obtain 
these medicates from the VA, these veterans must first receive an 
outpatient visit with a VA physician.
  While I have heard from many veterans who are eager to take advantage 
of reduced-cost medications, many are not disabled, poor, and do not 
suffer from a service-connected ailment, which means they must often 
wait from several months to over a year for their requisite outpatient 
visit. This places an unnecessary financial burden on our veterans who 
must pay retail prices to fill their prescriptions while they wait to 
see a VA primary care physician. This policy can also impose a health 
burden, as this long wait may discourage veterans from seeking VA 
medication treatment altogether.
  My legislation would allow veterans immediate access to needed 
medications by allowing them to fill prescriptions written by their 
family doctor at the VA.
  This change would provide our veterans with timely access to low-cost 
prescription

[[Page E323]]

drugs while also reducing the number of outpatient visits that VA 
physicians must perform each year. VA facilities would then be able to 
devote more time and care to those veterans who require inpatient 
services.
  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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