| Good morning, Chairman Simmons, Ranking
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| | that are in some way related to his
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| Member Rodriguez, and other distinguished
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| | military service. Currently the VA
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| members of the House Subcommittee on
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| | largely has no idea of "who hath borne
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| Health of the Committee on Veterans
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| | the battle" among the users of the VA
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| Affairs. On behalf of National President
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| | system, even if they are
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| Thomas H. Corey, we thank you for the
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| | service-connected disabled veterans. For
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| opportunity for Vietnam Veterans of
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| | example, VA can only tell at a glance if
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| America (VVA) to appear here today to
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| | an individual is a Vietnam-era veteran,
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| share our views on the issue of
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| | and not whether or not they served in the
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| "Transitional Pharmacy Benefits" at the
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| | Vietnam theater of operations.
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| Veterans Health Administration facilities
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| | In the five years since the announcement
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| of the U.S. Department of Veterans
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| | of the "Veterans Health Initiative," the
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| Affairs (VA). I ask that you enter our
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| | VA has yet to implement a training
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| full statement in the record, and I will
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| | program for all employees, or even just
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| briefly summarize the most important
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| | the new employees and clinicians that
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| points of our statement.
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| | defines these special people whom we
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| The "Transitional Pharmacy Benefit" would
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| | serve, and what makes veterans different
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| never have been necessary if the veterans
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| | from the general population that one
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| health care system were fully and
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| | might see in a general hospital. The
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| properly funded to take care of the
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| | taking of a complete military history
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| veterans who are statutorily eligible to
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| | (what branch, when, what duty stations,
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| use the VHA system. If there were
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| | what military job M.O.S., and what
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| anything approaching adequate funding,
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| | actually happened to them) and utilizing
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| there would have been no need to
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| | this vital information in the diagnosis
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| promulgate the regulation issued to
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| | and treatment process, is central to the
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| accomplish the filling of prescriptions
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| | raison-detre of the VA, i.e., that it be
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| written by non-VA physicians as there
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| | a Veterans Health Care System, and not
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| would never have been waiting periods of
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| | just general health care that happens to
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| longer than thirty days. This would have
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| | be for veterans.
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| rendered the premise of VHA Directive
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| | While we are assured that the new
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| 2003-047 (issued August 14, 2003, and
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| | Information Technology is being designed
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| affecting veterans enrolled in VA health
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| | to find out complete military histories,
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| care by July 25, 2003) and other various
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| | and correlate this information with
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| legislative proposals moot. This is but
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| | diseases, exposures, and the like which
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| one more good reason why we need
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| | may have affected the veteran, this
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| mandatory funding for health care for
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| | architecture is not due for realization
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| America's veterans.
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| | until FY 2008 at the earliest. VVA
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| When VVA received notice of this hearing
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| | commends Undersecretary Robert Roswell
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| late last week, we sent out messages
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| | for including this in the "20/20 Vision
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| soliciting thoughts and data from our
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| | Statement" for the VHA. VVA believes that
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| Service Representatives and from the VVA
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| | much more can be done today even without
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| National and State leadership who are
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| | all processes being automated. VVA also
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| geographically dispersed across the
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| | commends Secretary Principi for including
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| nation. The reports were that it was not
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| | the taking and using of military history
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| utilized because there was no waiting
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| | for each veteran in the above-described
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| list longer than 30 days at the local VA
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| | manner, for the very first time in the
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| Medical Center, or that the "Transitional
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| | "2003-2008 Strategic Plan for VA."
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| Pharmacy Benefit" was working well, and
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| | If the VA were taking a complete military
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| in the manner intended by the Secretary
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| | history and using it in the diagnosis and
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| of Veterans Affairs. The reports are
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| | treatment processes, then it would become
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| consistently favorable. The VA pharmacy
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| | doubly important for those who
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| service is doing a very good to excellent
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| | potentially served at a time and place
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| job with this program, and that veterans
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| | where they were exposed to toxic
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| and veteran's advocates at the local
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| | substances or diseases that should be
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| level are pleased with this benefit, if
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| | evaluated by VA physicians who (at some
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| not the reasons that made it necessary.
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| | time in the future) would be trained to
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| It is worth noting that the pharmacy
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| | spot and to test as appropriate for these
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| operation has so improved in the last two
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| | potential service related conditions.
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| decades that it is now one of the
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| | Attached please find a copy of the web
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| best-run VA programs. It is generally
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| | site for the "Pocket Card" that is
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| effective, efficient, and is constantly
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| | supposed to be used to train interns,
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| improving based on clinician and veteran
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| | residents, and other new VA
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| reactions and suggestions. Of all the VA
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| | professionals. These cards are also
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| operations, it is the one that appears to
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| | supposed to be available to, and used by,
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| be truly operating on the "Demming"
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| | all VA clinicians, although that is
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| method, devised by the late W. Edwards
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| | rarely the case.
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| Demming, of constant improvements, with
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| | If the VHA were working as a true
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| many of these modifications being small
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| | Veterans Health Care system, and when it
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| but some large, that result in an
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| | is again adequately funded to properly
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| increasingly more effective operation at
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| | care for all veterans who are statutorily
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| the least possible cost. It is indeed
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| | eligible, VVA would not favor any program
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| ironic that the pharmacy operation should
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| | that moves case management outside of the
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| apparently be one of the areas targeted
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| | VA.
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| for eventual outsourcing by the Office of
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| | Since we are where we are with funding
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| Management & Budget (OMB). One could say
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| | and overcrowding today, VVA again
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| that this is yet another case of "if it's
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| | congratulates Secretary Anthony J.
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| working, let's break it" by the OMB
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| | Principi for moving ahead with this
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| bureaucracy.
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| | program to provide a short-term fix for
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| There has been discussion of making the
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| | those who needed medications but had to
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| concept of VA filling prescriptions
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| | endure long waits to secure these already
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| written by non-VA physicians a more
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| | privately prescribed medicines, and to
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| far-reaching and permanent program. VVA
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| | reduce the backlog of veterans waiting to
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| in the past has not favored such efforts,
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| | be seen at many facilities, especially in
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| for a variety of reasons, and not just
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| | VISN 8 and other areas where particularly
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| cost to the medical operations fund at
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| | long waiting times had become a really
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| the current inadequate level under
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| | sever problem.
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| discretionary spending.
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| | Mr. Chairman, that concludes our brief
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| The most important function of the VA
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| | remarks on this issue. I would be pleased
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| medical system is "to care for he who
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| | to answer any questions you or your
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| hath borne the battle" In other words, it
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| | distinguished colleagues may have.
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| should deal with the "veteran-ness" of an
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| | Again, thank you for allowing VVA the
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| eligible person by properly testing and
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| | opportunity to offer our views here
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| diagnosing all of the maladies, injuries,
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| | today.
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| and illnesses that a veteran may have
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