{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-veterans-access-to-high-cost-prescription-medications", "King Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Veterans\u2019 Access to High-Cost Prescription Medications", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Independent", "Senate", "ME", "Angus S. King, Jr.", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", "angusking", "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is introducing bipartisan legislation to improve access to high-cost prescription drugs for veterans living in state veterans\u2019 homes. The Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act would require the Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs (VA) to reimburse State Veterans Homes (SVH) for high-cost medications that exceed 8.5% of their per diem rate, like the arrangement many private contract nursing homes currently have with the VA. Alternatively, it could require the VA to provide these medications directly to the SVHs. Maine has six SVH\u2019s in locations across the state.\n\nCurrently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not pay State Veterans Homes for high-cost medications for severely disabled veterans, which are covered for veterans who reside outside the facilities. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) joins Senator King as a lead co-sponsor of the bill.\n\n\u201cOur men and women in uniform didn\u2019t hesitate when it came time to answer the call and serve the nation \u2013 we shouldn\u2019t hesitate to make their retirement from service as comfortable as possible,\u201d said Senator King. \u201cIf the VA covers veterans\u2019 medications when they are living at a private nursing home, those cost reimbursements should be the same when veterans choose to enter a facility that specializes in taking care of veterans. This bipartisan Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act is a crucial piece of legislation that will ensure our veterans continue to receive the care they have earned, regardless of where they chose to live.\u201d\n\n\u201cState veterans\u2019 homes should never have to turn away elderly and disabled veterans because lifesaving medications are too expensive,\u201d said Senator Banks. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will help states cover those costs and expedite care for our nation\u2019s heroes.\u201d\n\nSince the successful passage of the PACT Act in 2022, there has been a significant increase in the number of veterans adjudicated as being severely disabled. For these veterans, the VA currently pays a per diem but doesn\u2019t pay the State Veterans Homes for the cost of extremely high-cost medications which often cost the homes more than VA is paying (sometimes more than $1000 a day). The result has been a rise in veterans being refused SVH admissions, SVHs having to foot the costs of certain lifesaving medications \u2013 or the SVHs discharging them due to expense.\n\n\u201cThis legislation addresses a clear and consequential gap in federal policy. Private facilities that contract with the VA receive direct reimbursement for high-cost medications, while State Veterans Homes like Maine Veterans\u2019 Homes do not. That inequity can force Veterans Homes to weigh the extraordinary cost of a Veteran\u2019s medications during the admissions process\u2014something no Veteran or Veterans Home should face,\u201d said Brad Klawitter, Maine Veterans\u2019 Homes CEO. \u201cMaine Veterans\u2019 Homes provides high-quality care in a setting specifically designed to honor the service and sacrifice of our Veterans. Reimbursement for high-cost medications is essential to our ability to continue serving Veterans in our communities, including those with complex medical needs. These Veterans served our state and country, and they deserve access to a Veterans Home where their service is understood, respected and honored. Closing this gap must be a priority.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Association of State Veterans Homes (NASVH) strongly supports the bipartisan Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act which would ensure exorbitantly high-cost medications don\u2019t limit long-term care options for aging and disabled veterans,\u201d said Ryan Engle, NASVH President. \u201c\u201cNASVH is grateful for the leadership of Senators Angus King and Jim Banks in introducing legislation to improve the lives of highly service-connected disabled veterans and strengthen the State Veterans Homes system.\u201d\n\nRepresenting one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America\u2019s servicemembers and veterans. In March, Senator King was honored by The American Legion with its 2026 Distinguished Public Service Award. Last year, Senator King was honored by the Disabled American Veterans as its 2025 Legislator of the Year. He was also recognized by the Wounded Warrior Project as the 2024 Legislator of the Year for his \u201coutstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of the wounded, ill, and injured veterans.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-veterans-access-to-high-cost-prescription-medications"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8130308017134666, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}