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WASHINGTON — Seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D plans pay 58 percent more for the most commonly prescribed drugs than Americans who buy their medications through health plans administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a report released Tuesday.

The study, by the not-for-profit health care consumer advocacy group Families USA, comes as the House prepares to vote Friday on a plan by congressional Democrats to force the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for better drug prices.

Under the 2003 Medicare prescription-drug law, the government is barred from harnessing the buying power of 22.5 million Americans — the number of people now receiving some kind of drug benefits under Medicare — to get a better deal on prescription medications.

Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said the ban on drug price negotiations is the main reason seniors on Medicare pay more for a range of prescription medications than those whose health care is provided through the Veterans Administration.

Like the Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service and other federal agencies, the Veterans' Administration bargains with pharmaceutical companies over the prices for covered drugs.

"Prices are considerably cheaper" for those on VA plans, Pollack said, adding that "the high prices devastate seniors who need to take multiple medicines" and are "a rip-off of American taxpayers, who pay for three-quarters of the costs of Medicare Part D."

The new report focused on the five biggest insurers offering prescription-drug plans under Medicare Part D, and on the prices charged for the 20 medications most frequently prescribed for seniors.

On average, the cost of those drugs is 58 percent higher than what VA health plans charge, according to the study. And, the Families USA report found, all 20 cost more under Medicare Part D.

For instance:

● For a year's supply of 200 milligram caplets of the anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex, the lowest Medicare Part D plan price was $946.44, compared to $632.09 under the VA.

● For the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor, the cost of a year's supply of 20 milligram tablets would be $1,485.96 under the cheapest Medicare Part D plan, compared to $127.44 under the VA.