The following study is from “Reforming VA’s Medication Copayment Statute” by Timothy J. McDonald. “..graduate of the Health Law Certificate Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is currently serving as a Presidential Management fellow in the Patient Care Services Office of the Veterans Health Administration.” A link follows. This is followed by studies showing the effect of the VA copay increases.
“The limitation imposed by the copayment legislation that prevents VA from charging the veteran more than the cost of the medication to VA has led to at least one case before the Board of Veterans’Appeals (Board). 31 This case involved “pill splitting,” a practice where VA provides medication in a dosage that is higher than needed, and then has the patient split a single pill into two separate doses”
“However, the current medication copayment that many veterans are charged is based on outdated legislation…”
“This problem is not limited to cases where the veteran is splitting tablets. In fact, based on VA’s increased efficiency and price negotiation in the pharmaceutical arena, it seems very likely that under the current copayment plan many veterans are charged excessive copayments by VA.44” http://www.va.gov/vbs/bva/manuals/vlr1mcdonald.pdf
Co-Payment Increases Result in Gaps in Veterans’ Prescription Usage
American Heart Association rapid access journal report:
Study highlights: — Cholesterol-lowering drug adherence drops with an increase in VA prescription co-payments.
DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2009 — Fewer veterans filled their prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs after an increase in co-payment costs for prescription drugs, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS212289+14-Jan-2009+PRN20090114
The Effect of a Medication Copayment Increase on Metformin Adherence by Veterans with Diabetes
Rationale: Copayment increases have been shown to affect health care demand in many settings, and adherence to essential medications may decrease when medication copayments rise. In 2002, the Veterans Administration (VA) increased medication copayments from $2.00 to $7.00 per 30-day prescription fill. http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/0/4/4/p90444_index.html
VA prescription copayment studies
The following study is from “Reforming VA’s Medication Copayment Statute” by Timothy J. McDonald. “..graduate of the Health Law Certificate Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is currently serving as a Presidential Management fellow in the Patient Care Services Office of the Veterans Health Administration.” A link follows. This is followed by studies showing the effect of the VA copay increases.
“The limitation imposed by the copayment legislation that prevents VA from charging the veteran more than the cost of the medication to VA has led to at least one case before the Board of Veterans’Appeals (Board). 31 This case involved “pill splitting,” a practice where VA provides medication in a dosage that is higher than needed, and then has the patient split a single pill into two separate doses”
“However, the current medication copayment that many veterans are charged is based on outdated legislation…”
“This problem is not limited to cases where the veteran is splitting tablets. In fact, based on VA’s increased efficiency and price negotiation in the pharmaceutical arena, it seems very likely that under the current copayment plan many veterans are charged excessive copayments by VA.44”
http://www.va.gov/vbs/bva/manuals/vlr1mcdonald.pdf
Co-Payment Increases Result in Gaps in Veterans’ Prescription Usage
American Heart Association rapid access journal report:
Study highlights: — Cholesterol-lowering drug adherence drops with an increase in VA prescription co-payments.
DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2009 — Fewer veterans filled their prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs after an increase in co-payment costs for prescription drugs, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS212289+14-Jan-2009+PRN20090114
Impact of a prescription copayment increase on lipid-lowering medication adherence in veterans.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19139387
The Effect of a Medication Copayment Increase on Metformin Adherence by Veterans with Diabetes
Rationale: Copayment increases have been shown to affect health care demand in many settings, and adherence to essential medications may decrease when medication copayments rise. In 2002, the Veterans Administration (VA) increased medication copayments from $2.00 to $7.00 per 30-day prescription fill.
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/0/4/4/p90444_index.html