On the recordMay 21, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the Medical-Surgical Prime Vendor Program is VA's system of contracts to purchase and distribute medical and surgical supplies. VA attempted to create a centralized MSPV formulary to standardize the products its clinicians can buy as an idea to concentrate VA's buying power to extract savings from fewer suppliers. But the formulary was developed with inadequate input from experienced clinicians, and as a result, it contains unwanted supplies while omitting necessary products. Because of these problems, usage of MSPV has failed to meet its objectives, putting some of the prime vendors and suppliers under financial strain, and threatening the stability of the program. H.R. 5418 preserves the MSPV's current structure, consisting of multiple regional prime vendors, and it prohibits a move to a single nationwide prime vendor. The bill also requires that each VA employee making decisions related to the structure have medical expertise relevant to those items. H.R. 5418 ensures medical professionals have the tools and resources they need to deliver world-class care to our veterans. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill.
