AMVETS to Oppose VA Drug Pricing Initiatives

The AMVETS National Convention was last week. We have new National Officers and new resolutions adopted during this Convention. One resolution in particular should be brought to the attention of our Ohio members. It is called the VA Drug Pricing Initiatives. It was brought to the floor by the AMVETS Department of California. The members of the floor voted to oppose any effort to require any governmental agency, in any state, to align its drug pricing structure with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This means that the Department of Ohio, and all other Departments, will suggest opposing the VA drug pricing changes. Read the full resolution here:

Resolution 18-22

Subject: VA Drug Pricing Initiatives

Source: AMVETS Department of California

Whereas, the VA is the primary source of medication for those veterans who are eligible for and receive services from the VA based upon their military service to our country; and

Whereas, most recently this issue was on the November 2016 California ballot as Proposition 61 where it was opposed by over 30 veterans' organizations; and

Whereas, California voters listened to the veterans' service organizations and overwhelmingly defeated Proposition 61 by a margin of 53.79 percent to 45.39 percent; and

Whereas, there is currently a ballot measure similar to Proposition 61 on the November 2017 ballot in Ohio; and

Whereas, the proponents of these ballot and legislative measures will continue in their efforts to require state agencies to pay no more for drugs than what is paid by the VA by going state to state; and

Whereas, these VA prices controls were previously tried by Congress in the 1990s and after they proved to be unworkable, they were cancelled by Congress; and

Whereas, the VA stated that if Proposition 61 had passed it would have cost the VA and additional $3.8 billion per year in increased drug prices and administrative costs; and

Whereas, if any of these ballot or legislative measures pass, it will undoubtedly require the VA and Department of Defense to raise medication co-payments and/or reduce services based upon their current budgetary constraints; now therefore be it

Resolved, that AMVETS shall oppose any effort to require any governmental agency, in any state, to align its drug pricing structure with the Department of Veterans Affairs.