Appointment Of Conferees On H.R. 5122, G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery National Defense Authorization

APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 5122, G.V. ``SONNY'' MONTGOMERY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007 -- (House of Representatives - September 07, 2006)

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Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support the Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 5122, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007.

The motion to instruct offered by my colleague, Representative CHET EDWARDS, would instruct House conferees to insist on Senate-passed language regarding the TRICARE retail pharmacy program. That language would allow TRICARE beneficiaries to purchase prescriptions from their local pharmacies at the same cost as through mail-order services, ensuring that our veterans and military retirees are not forced to pay more merely to visit their neighborhood drug store.

The Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 requires drug manufacturers to grant a Federal pricing discount on all drugs provided to the Department of Defense, Veterans' Administration, the Public Health Service and the Coast Guard. Unfortunately, not all drug manufacturers grant this discount on drugs provided to retail pharmacy stores, instead only applying the discount to mail-order prescriptions.

It is understandable that the Department of Defense would want to contain growing prescription drug costs. However, forcing TRICARE beneficiaries to obtain prescriptions by mail-order is not the solution--rather, we need to clarify that drug manufacturers must provide Federal pricing for all medications dispensed through the TRICARE retail pharmacy network. Section 721 of the Senate version of the Defense Authorization bill would do just this.

Representatives of the Department of Defense have acknowledged that Federal pricing for pharmaceuticals dispensed through the TRICARE retail pharmacy network would ``significantly'' contain growing prescription drug costs. It has been estimated that if the Senate provision is enacted, it could save taxpayers up to $251 million in fiscal year 2007, and more than $300 million annually by fiscal year 2009, by requiring Federal pricing discounts to be applied to these TRICARE retail pharmacies.

I have heard serious concerns expressed by veterans and military retirees in my district about this issue many times this summer. There are times when it is not possible to wait for a mail order to come before a person might need to begin taking their prescriptions. In those cases, for example, the men and women who have bravely served our country should not be punished for buying their prescriptions down the block. Our veterans, military retirees and their families deserve to have the option to use a pharmacy, and the services of a pharmacist, when they have questions regarding their prescriptions and their health. Passing this motion to instruct allows them that option.

We must ensure that our veterans and military retirees receive the benefits they have so courageously earned, and this motion to instruct will help guarantee they are not penalized for doing so. I support this motion to instruct, and strongly urge my colleagues to do as well.

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