U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Jon Tester (D-MT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, are pressing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie on reports of veterans who have seen significant delays in receiving their prescription medication through the U.S. Postal Service.
Peters has been leading the charge to demand answers on recent operational changes that have negatively affected delivery service for Americans in Michigan and across the country. After receiving misleading information from the Postal Service, Peters launched an investigation into the changes DeJoy ordered that are preventing Americans from receiving critical mail on-time, including prescription drugs, business mail, and mail-in ballots.
“Veterans and the VA should be able to count on USPS for the timely delivery of essential prescription drugs,” the Senators wrote. “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.”
“USPS needs to immediately cease operational changes that are causing mail delays so that veterans do not needlessly suffer from illnesses exacerbated by delayed medication deliveries,” the Senators continued. “Those who gave so much to serve this country should be able to count on the nation’s Postal Service to deliver their medications in a timely manner.”
The VA fills about 80 percent of its prescriptions through their Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP), which primarily uses the U.S. Postal Service to deliver to veterans’ homes. The VA CMOP fills almost 120 million prescriptions a year, with deliveries arriving daily to about 330,000 veterans across the country. According to the VA website, “prescriptions usually arrive within 3 to 5 days.”
Reports from veterans and VA staff have said that recently these medications are now taking weeks to be delivered and causing veterans to miss doses of vital medications. Earlier this week, Peters visited the USPS Metroplex facility in Pontiac, Michigan, met with workers and discussed operations during the pandemic. Following his visit, Peters held a virtual press conference where he highlighted the story of a constituent whose husband was unable to take his medicine after his typically reliable delivery went from taking 3 days to 12 days.
As part of his ongoing investigation into the Postal Service, Peters has been seeking information from the people and small businesses most affected by these delays. Peters also wrote to a dozen Veterans Services Organizations seeking their assistance in providing information about veterans who are struggling to get their prescriptions delivered on time or are experiencing other problems caused by recent mail delays.
Those groups include the VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, Union Veterans Council, Michigan VFW, Michigan American Legion, and Michigan Disabled American Veterans.
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