Sponsors (26)
The bill speeds VA access to FDA‑approved non‑opioid pain treatments for veterans—potentially reducing opioid exposure—but increases near‑term costs, forces faster reviews that may limit price negotiation and evaluation, and shifts implementation costs within VA budgets.
Veterans — will gain faster access to FDA‑approved non‑opioid pain treatments because qualifying products must be added to the VA national formulary within short, specified timeframes, expanding non‑opioid options and potentially reducing opioid exposure.
Veterans and VA hospitals/health systems — the 90‑day implementation deadline accelerates VA adoption so beneficiaries and clinical providers could see new therapies added sooner than under normal review timelines.
Taxpayers and veterans — the VA requirement to add new (potentially expensive) non‑opioid drugs or biologics may increase drug acquisition costs and raise spending from VA budgets or taxpayer funds.
Veterans and VA programs — prohibiting use of the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund to implement these changes shifts costs onto other VA budget lines, risking diversion of funds from other veterans' services or programs.
Veterans and VA hospitals/health systems — mandated rapid review timelines could limit the VA's ability to negotiate lower prices or fully evaluate comparative effectiveness before coverage, reducing potential cost savings and possibly lowering value of formulary additions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires VA to add FDA-approved non-opioid pain drugs/biologics to its national formulary within set Medicare- and FDA-linked deadlines and to implement changes within 90 days.
Introduced November 19, 2025 by Shelley Moore Capito · Last progress November 19, 2025
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to add FDA-approved or cleared non-opioid pain management drugs and biological products to the VA national formulary within set timeframes tied to FDA approval or Medicare payment eligibility, and directs the Secretary to implement the changes within 90 days of enactment. The law adds a definition for “non-opioid pain management drug or biological product” to VA statute and prohibits using the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund to carry out these requirements.