On the recordJuly 28, 2015
On behalf of myself and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), my colleague, I rise today to offer an amendment to prevent a spike in the copays that veterans pay for prescription drugs as a result of this misguided bill. Every year, the Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a rule to ensure that veterans enrolled in the VA health program don't see as much as a 37.5 percent increase in their prescription drug copays. In this bill, the REINS Act, if it were signed into law, it would be very difficult, and perhaps impossible, for the VA to publish this rulemaking before January 1, 2016. Let's face it, Congress doesn't exactly have a great track record on acting fast. I used to say, when I was in the Wisconsin Legislature, sometimes things move like a tortoise. In Congress, I explain they move more like an upside-down tortoise. Under this bill, copayments for approximately 2.4 million veterans would increase significantly, causing economic hardship and health risks for many veterans struggling to make ends meet. If this bill were to become law, veterans with a service-connected disability rating greater than 50 percent would see their prescription drug copays increase more than 11 times what they were paying last year. Veterans who are former prisoners of war or awarded a Purple Heart would see their copays go up nearly 38 percent. Veterans, who have been hit hardest economically after serving their country, would see their rates spike 22 percent.…
