Washington, DC -- U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (FL-7th) introduced the Veterans Prescription Drug Equity Act to help deal with the huge backlog of veterans seeking access to prescription medications.
"In Florida and across the nation we have tens of thousands of veterans who have faithfully served our country and are now going without needed prescription medications," Mica said. "This is totally unacceptable."
Rep. Mica has been working with local veterans and the VA over the past year to address the critical backlog in veterans health care services. In Florida, 32,000 veterans were on waiting lists or had applied for their first primary care appointment as of last October 21. Nearly two-thirds of veterans seeking VA doctors appointments are doing so to receive low cost prescription drugs from the VA. In some parts of Florida, veterans have been forced to wait over one year to see a VA physician and obtain needed medications.
Current VA policy requires filling only prescriptions written by VA doctors, which contributes to the backlog. Last year, Mica urged VA Secretary Principi to allow non-VA physician prescriptions to be accepted for veterans needs. Recently VA counsel has determined that the VA does not have the necessary legislative authority.
Mica drafted the Veterans Prescription Drug Equity Act to permit veterans currently on waiting lists to obtain medication through the VA’s low cost prescription drug program with prescriptions written by private or HMO physicians. This should help clear up the veterans backlog, reduce doctor costs and redirect VA physicians to treating sick patients.
Mica stated, "Congress must meet the needs of our aging veterans population. We must adapt our federal VA policy to deliver health care and medications to our veterans now."