VA Health Care: Expanded Eligibility Has Increased Outpatient Pharmacy Use and Expenditures

[摘要] A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spent about $3.0 billion on its outpatient pharmacy benefit in fiscal year 2001. After VA implemented the Veterans' Health Care Eligibility Reform Act in 1999, more veterans could use VA outpatient care, including the pharmacy benefit, than before. Increased eligibility contributed to a doubling of the number of Priority 7 veterans using VA health care. Priority 7 veterans are primarily veterans with higher incomes and no service-connected disability. GAO was asked to report on Priority 7 veterans' use of the outpatient pharmacy benefit and VA's expenditures to provide this benefit. To do this, GAO reviewed VA pharmacy data on use and costs from fiscal years 1999 through 2001."

[发布日期] 2002-11-08 [发布机构] United States. General Accounting Office.

[关键词] Government accountability -- United States.;health care;veterans;va health care;letter report