S. 2981 — Veterans Prosthetics Advancement and Reform Act

This section establishes a Prosthetic and Rehabilitative Items and Services Formulary (Formulary) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for furnishing prosthetic and rehabilitative items and services to veterans as part of VA medical services. (As background, VA provides prosthetics and sensory aids to eligible veterans under 38 U.S.C. §1701(6)(F) and §1710.) In developing the Formulary, the VA Secretary must (1) solicit input from veterans and the public, (2) rely on the best available evidence to identify covered items and services, and (3) ensure their availability at or through all VA facilities; the Secretary must also publish and periodically update the Formulary on a VA website, communicate its contents and appeal procedures to veterans, enter necessary contracts, provide related training to clinicians and staff, and adapt VA pharmacy formulary management practices. The section further requires an exceptions process allowing VA clinicians to request, prescribe, and furnish medically necessary non-Formulary items and services, with monitoring of such requests to promote consistency across facilities and inform potential Formulary additions. (Thus, the Formulary standardizes access to prosthetics and rehabilitative care while permitting case-by-case exceptions.)