Press Releases

Washington - Today, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), along with House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs members Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to correct problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) system for purchasing medical supplies.

"Guaranteeing our Veterans top quality health care means strengthening every aspect of how the VA does business,” said Bergman. “Unfortunately, the system for purchasing medical and surgical supplies has gone off track because unqualified administrators were deciding which products physicians get to use. Our legislation will put medical experts back in charge and prevent the VA from making the same mistakes again."

“Our veterans deserve the highest quality care, which includes medical professionals, not administrative personnel, making decisions on the type of medical and surgical supplies they use to treat our nation’s heroes,” said Banks. “This legislation will ensure that the implementation of MSPV is done right so that VA doctors and nurses decide what instruments they use and have them available when they need them.”

“The VA is riddled with wasteful spending and disorganization that has led to diminished care for our veterans,” said Dunn. “Medical professionals should be making decisions about medical and surgical supplies – frankly they know more about caring for our veterans than bureaucrats in Washington. This legislation is crucial in fixing the medical-surgical formulary and puts medical supply decisions into the hands of those providing the care. I commend Chairman Bergman for taking the lead and working to fix this flawed purchasing system.”

The Veterans Affairs Medical-Surgical Purchasing Stabilization Act

The Veterans Affairs Medical-Surgical Purchasing Stabilization Act directs VA to correct the problems with their medical-surgical formulary using input from medical professionals with relevant expertise rather than administrative staff. This legislation would also prevent VA from outsourcing the creation of the formulary. Click here for more information. Read the bill here.