Lawmakers: Postal changes delay mail-order medicine for vets
WASHINGTON — Policy changes that slow delivery at the U.S. Postal Service are taking a toll on military veterans, who are reporting much longer wait times to receive mail-order prescription drugs, according to Democratic senators.
In a letter Friday, the 31 senators take aim at new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a GOP fundraiser who took the post in June and has since imposed several operational changes that have led to mail backlogs across the United States. His costcutting measures have come as President Donald Trump rails against increases in mail-in voting and says he may hold up postal funding to impede the balloting in November.
The senators say they've heard from hundreds of veterans, as well as Department of Veterans Affairs staff, who cited weekslong mail delays, “causing veterans to miss doses of vital medications.”
The VA website offers assurances that prescriptions typically arrive within three to five days.
The lawmakers called on DeJoy to reassess the impact of the postal changes on veterans and urged him to work with VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to reduce delays. Veterans are an important constituency for Trump, broadly supporting him in 2016 and during his presidency.
“Access to prescription medications is especially integral during the COVID19 pandemic when routine health care appointments maybe delayed or cancelled ,” according to the letter, which was led by Montana Sen. Jon Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. “No veteran should have to wonder when their antidepressant or blood pressure medication may arrive — and the effects can be devastating if doses are missed.”
In a statement, VA disputed the notion that mail- order prescriptions were arriving weeks late and pointed to guidance on its website encouraging veterans to request refills at least 10 days before they need it.
“VA always encourages veterans to order routine prescriptions in advance,” said VA spokeswoman Christina Noel .“When it comes to emergent prescriptions, VA either fills them onsite or uses commercial carriers to ensure timely delivery.” She said prescriptions delivered by the Postal Service are averaging less than three days for delivery, while 95% of those sent by UPS next-day service have been on time.
VA fills about 80% of veteran prescriptions by mail. That translates to almost 120 million prescriptions a year, with deliveries arriving daily to about 330,000 veterans across the country.