VA National Formulary Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill creates a single, nationwide list of approved medicines for all VA hospitals. This ensures that every veteran has access to the same treatments and supplies regardless of which VA facility they visit or which state they live in.
• The VA would be required to review newly approved FDA drugs within 120 days. This aims to get the latest medical breakthroughs to veterans faster by reducing the time it takes for the government to decide if a new drug should be covered.
• If a doctor believes a veteran needs a medicine not on the standard list, the VA must provide an answer on that request within 96 hours. If the request is denied, an appeal must be decided within seven days to prevent long delays in care.
• Approved prescriptions will now 'follow' the veteran. If a veteran is approved for a special medication at one VA center and moves to another, the new facility must honor that approval without making the patient start the request process over.
• The bill changes how veterans pay for medicine by creating a 'tiered' system. This means generic drugs and those on the standard list will have lower copays, while brand-name or special-request drugs will cost more.
• To save taxpayer money, the VA is authorized to negotiate deeper discounts and 'value-based' deals with drug companies. These deals could link the price the government pays to how well the medicine actually works for the veterans taking it.