Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act

This bill would make the Department of Veterans Affairs either pay back State-run veterans’ nursing homes for very expensive medicines or directly provide those medicines to the homes. The goal is to make sure veterans in these facilities get needed drugs without the homes taking on big costs. A “costly medication” is defined by a price test: if one month’s supply (plus a small 3% fee) costs more than 8.5% of what VA pays that State home for that veteran’s monthly care, VA must reimburse the home or supply the drug itself.

Key points

• Who is affected: Veterans living in State-run nursing homes, and the State homes that care for them.
• What changes: VA must either reimburse the home for costly meds or furnish them directly, based on the home’s choice.
• How “costly” is defined: One month’s drug cost (average wholesale price plus 3% fee) is more than 8.5% of the VA’s monthly payment to that home for that veteran’s care.

If passed, this would shift the burden of very high drug costs from State homes to the VA, helping homes manage budgets and helping veterans keep access to essential medications.