Political Quotes

“Yes, reclaiming my time, I am aware that, in fact, there are veterans who have moved to the Medicare system. One of the reasons the House bill that passed did not include a national formulary was because of those kinds of concerns. We are not talking about that. We are talking about the ability to negotiate to get the best price. I would also say, though, from the VA's standpoint, that there are millions of veterans who are getting much better prices as a result of the fact that they can negotiate the best price for veterans. We are working to find that balance to provide a choice so that you can get the specific prescription drug that you need but at the same time be able to get the best price. I don't know why we wouldn't want to do that. It makes absolutely no sense not to do that. We are seeing huge differences on prescription drugs that are commonly used by our seniors. Let me give an example. Zocor, which is a drug many seniors use for keeping their cholesterol levels under control, the lowest VA price is about $127 a month. But people under Medicare are paying $1,486. We are talking about a difference of over 1,000 percent.”