Barbara Boxer: “as the country enters this Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect and defend the…”

“as the country enters this Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect and defend the United States, I come before the Senate to introduce legislation aimed at making it easier for veterans to receive medications through the VA health care system. Right now, VA pharmacies are prohibited from dispensing medications that are prescribed by non-VA practitioners. This means that veterans can not have their prescriptions filled at a VA facility if it is written by their private doctor. Under current law, veterans only have to pay $2 for each 30-day supply of medication supplied by the VA. Therefore, if a veteran needs to have a prescription filled by a non-VA practitioner, it can mean great out-of-pocket expenses. My legislation would change the current system to allow the VA to fill prescriptions that are written by non-VA practitioners. This bill has been endorsed by The American Legion, the National Association of Uniformed Services and the Non-Commissioned Officers Association. I believe it is a common sense approach, and I think we owe it to veterans to make health care as affordable and accessible as possible.”