CFR

17.110—Copayments for medication.

(a) General. This section sets forth requirements regarding copayments for medications provided to veterans by VA.

(b) Copayments. (1) Copayment amount. Unless exempted under paragraph (c) of this section, a veteran is obligated to pay VA a copayment for each 30-day or less supply of medication provided by VA on an outpatient basis (other than medication administered during treatment).

(i) For the period from January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2010, the copayment amount is $8.

(ii) For the period from July 1, 2010, through December 31, 2011, the copayment amount for veterans in priority categories 2 through 6 of VA's health care system (see § 17.36) is $8.

(iii) For veterans in priority categories 7 and 8 of VA's health care system (see § 17.36 ), the copayment amount from July 1, 2010, through December 31, 2011, is $9.

(iv) The copayment amount for all affected veterans for each calendar year after December 31, 2011, will be established by using the prescription drug component of the Medical Consumer Price Index as follows: For each calendar year, the Index as of the previous September 30 will be divided by the Index as of September 30, 2001 which was 304.8. The ratio so obtained will be multiplied by the original copayment amount of $7. The copayment amount for the new calendar year will be this result, rounded down to the whole dollar amount.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note to Paragraph (b)(1)(iv): Example for determining copayment amount. The ratio of the prescription drug component of the Medical Consumer Price Index for September 30, 2005, to the corresponding Index for September 30, 2001 (304.8) was 1.1542. This ratio, when multiplied by the original copayment amount of $7 equals $8.08, and the copayment amount beginning in calendar year 2006, rounded down to the whole dollar amount, was set at $8.

(2) The total amount of copayments in a calendar year for a veteran enrolled in one of the priority categories 2 through 6 of VA's health care system (see § 17.36) shall not exceed the cap established for the calendar year. During the period from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011, the cap will be $960. If the copayment amount increases after December 31, 2011, the cap of $960 shall be increased by $120 for each $1 increase in the copayment amount.

(3) Information on copayment/cap amounts. Current copayment and cap amounts are available at any VA Medical Center and on our Web site, http://www.va.gov. Notice of any increases to the copayment and corresponding increases to annual cap amount will be published in the Federal Register.

(c) Medication not subject to the copayment requirements. The following are exempt from the copayment requirements of this section:

(1) Medication for a veteran who has a service-connected disability rated 50% or more based on a service-connected disability or unemployability;

(2) Medication for a veteran's service-connected disability;

(3) Medication for a veteran whose annual income (as determined under 38 U.S.C. 1503) does not exceed the maximum annual rate of VA pension which would be payable to such veteran if such veteran were eligible for pension under 38 U.S.C. 1521 ;

(4) Medication authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1710(e) for Vietnam-era herbicide-exposed veterans, radiation-exposed veterans, Persian Gulf War veterans, or post-Persian Gulf War combat-exposed veterans;

(5) Medication for treatment of sexual trauma as authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1720D ;

(6) Medication for treatment of cancer of the head or neck authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1720E ;

(7) Medications provided as part of a VA approved research project authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7303; and

(8) Medication for a veteran who is a former prisoner of war.

Code of Federal Regulations

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1710, 1720D, 1722A )

Code of Federal Regulations

[66 FR 63451, Dec. 6, 2001, as amended at 74 FR 69285, Dec. 31, 2009; 75 FR 32672, June 9, 2010; 75 FR 54030, Sept. 3, 2010]

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