Press release - Purchase of medicines by veterans - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security clarifies that the additional health benefits for pensioner and non-pensioner veterans apply to the Autonomous Region of the Azores. Law no. 46/2020 of August 20, which approved the Veterans' Statute, is applicable throughout Portugal.

Decree-Law no. 61/2024 was published in late September 2024. It added to the Veterans' Statute support for pensioners corresponding to 100% of the portion of medicines not reimbursed by the National Health Service, and support for non-pensioner veterans corresponding to 90% of the reimbursement for psychotropic medication. This reimbursement will be phased in, with 50% from  January 1, 2025, and 100% from January 1, 2026.

The implementation of additional health benefits for veterans was defined by Ordinance no. 372-C/2024/1 of December 31, which provides for its application to the Autonomous Region of the Azores, "without prejudice to guidelines from the competent services of the regional public administration."

The financial system established in the decree, regarding the funding of the purchase of medicines in the portion not reimbursed by the State, did not include the Island Health Units within the Regional Health Service or the Regional Directorate for Health (DRS). It only included the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources and the Central Administration of the Health System, I.P. (ACSS). As such, we had to make the necessary adjustments with the Secretary of State for Health Management and the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources. The DRS should already have the agreement of the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources and the Central Administration of the Health System, I.P. (ACSS) by the next week. 

Once the process has been settled, we would like to take this opportunity to point out that, for veterans to benefit from complementary support, the doctor must expressly mention Ordinance no. 372-C/2024/1 of December 31 on the prescriptions.

If not explicitly stated on prescriptions, veterans may benefit from this complementary support if they qualify for the special medicines reimbursement scheme under the Veterans' Statute and are duly registered in the National Health Users' Register.

Finally, users should request proof of their status as pensioner and non-pensioner veterans from the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources.

We would also like to announce that the Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security, through the DRS, and following the contacts made with the Directorate-General for Health and the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources, is drawing up a regulatory circular for Island Health Units and an information circular for users, in general, to clarify the matter in question.