In the Spotlight
Good News: VA Lowers Most Medication Copayments
There's good news for many Veterans receiving prescriptions from VA. On February 27, 2017, the regulations for copayments changed. The cost to most Veterans for medications required on an outpatient basis to treat non-service connected conditions are less.
Most Veterans can see a $1 to $4 savings per prescription filled. Some Veterans may see a small ($2 to $3) increase for brand name (called "Tier 3") outpatient medications. Additionally, Veterans in priority groups 2 - 6 can see a decrease in their annual copayment cap of $960 go down to $700 a year while Veterans in priority groups 7 and 8, who currently don't have an annual cap, can see a $700 cap per year as well.
Copayments Based On Tiers
Veterans who are currently exempt from copayments will continue to be exempt. Veterans with a large number of outpatient medication copayments can save even more.
VA does not charge Veterans a premium, similar to what health insurance companies expect, so their only out-of-pocket costs is the copayments.
VA's goal is to reduce out-of-pocket costs and simplify getting prescriptions to Veterans. This also benefits Veterans in rural communities, where VA medical centers and local pharmacies may not be close to the Veterans home.