# 119-s-5497: Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act

119-s-5497, Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-07).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5497
- As of: 2026-10-07
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5497
- Congress: 119
- Title: Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-24
- Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-07

## Summary

**Creates an optional VA reimbursement or direct-supply path for high-cost medications given to veterans in State veterans homes.** It sets a cost threshold so only drugs that are unusually expensive relative to the home's monthly payment qualify. - Veterans in State homes: Residents needing very expensive drugs would get those medicines covered or supplied by the VA when the drug's cost exceeds the threshold, reducing the home's immediate drug expense. - State veterans homes: Homes can elect each month whether to have the VA reimburse them or to have the VA directly furnish the costly medication when a one-month supply's average wholesale price plus a 3% transaction fee is greater than 8.5% of the home's payment for that veteran. - Department of Veterans Affairs: The VA would operate this optional payment or furnishing mechanism alongside existing payments, limited to medications that meet the defined cost test.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Drug cost help for State home veterans: benefit, medium. If enacted, the VA would be able to reimburse a State veterans home for a high-cost drug or furnish that drug to the home. This would be in addition to the usual monthly payment the VA makes to the home. A drug would be "costly" for a month if its one-month average wholesale price plus a 3% transac…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-4189: INSULIN Act of 2026
- 119-s-2055: Veterans’ Caregiver Appeals Modernization Act of 2025
- 119-s-1591: ARCA Act of 2025
- 119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-1459: Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-5497 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5497)

## Related
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-4189: INSULIN Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4189)
- [119-s-2055: Veterans’ Caregiver Appeals Modernization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2055)
- [119-s-1591: ARCA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1591)
- [119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1552)
- [119-s-1459: Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1459)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5497 (as of 2026-10-07).