Jackie Walorski: “Thank you, Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop, for your assistance with this amendment. I rise to offer an…”

“Thank you, Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop, for your assistance with this amendment. I rise to offer an amendment that will protect veterans with diabetes. Specifically, this amendment will ensure the VA continues to offer diabetes patients a variety of glucose monitoring supplies through the competitive bid process. Mr. Chairman, almost 25 percent of veterans in the VA health care system have diabetes, compared to about 8.3 percent of the general public. As a result, diabetes care places a significant cost burden on the VA's budget, accounting for almost 4 percent of the overall VA health care budget and costing almost $1.5 billion annually. Presently, each of the 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs, competitively bid for monitoring devices and test strips. This competition is good for the patient, and it is good for the marketplace, allowing the VA to utilize significant purchasing power. Because of this competition and the competition in the non-VA market, vendors are pushed to reduce costs and to innovate. VA physicians rely upon the patient to be a partner in disease management and treatment. Therefore, it is critical for patients and caregivers to be comfortable with the devices they use so they can best monitor the disease, resulting in better health outcomes. As a member of the VA Committee, I learned recently the Department of Veterans Affairs is actively considering a national contract with a single provider for diabetic supplies.…”