Bottom line - they raise some of the issues you guys raised. As I said - the devil is in the details. One thing is probably certain - someone will get screwed from some direction. And that is usually the ones who can least afford it.
That said - I think it's perfectly okay to look at the idea, poke and prod it, etc. Take a look at how it's been working with TRICARE and Medicare, which apparently has a similar provision. I don't fault 'em for pushing the envelope. That's just *your* incentive to spend a little money in support of the veteran's organizations who are going to carry our water in this discussion.
You don't have to think it's fair - but it is the environment in which we currently operate. And a reminder - on issues like this, it is not the Agency nor the President that is your friend. It's Congress. I say that because an awful lot of us have a default position, from decades of service, of not realizing our interests align differently depending on the issue. Details below the fold.
That said - I think it's perfectly okay to look at the idea, poke and prod it, etc. Take a look at how it's been working with TRICARE and Medicare, which apparently has a similar provision. I don't fault 'em for pushing the envelope. That's just *your* incentive to spend a little money in support of the veteran's organizations who are going to carry our water in this discussion.
You don't have to think it's fair - but it is the environment in which we currently operate. And a reminder - on issues like this, it is not the Agency nor the President that is your friend. It's Congress. I say that because an awful lot of us have a default position, from decades of service, of not realizing our interests align differently depending on the issue. Details below the fold.
The National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. wants the Obama administration to kill a controversial budget proposal that would bill veterans with private health insurance for the care they receive for their service-connected disabilities and wounds. "It is unconscionable to pass along the costs of war to wounded and disabled veterans," said the VFW's Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas. "This is one policy proposal that the VFW will work hard to defeat because it breaks a sacred trust that veterans have with their government." The administration proposed 5 MAR that the Department of Veterans Affairs would receive $55.9 billion in discretionary funding in fiscal year 2010, an amount that exceeds the current year budget by $5.5 billion.
Gardner said the proposal includes good initiatives, such as additional funding to enable more veterans to enroll into the VA system, to expand the concurrent receipt of disability compensation and retirement pay for medically-retired veterans, and to target access to care issues, especially for rural veterans. But the VFW national commander stopped short of applauding the budget when it was confirmed that VA would increase third party collections by billing for service-connected disability treatments. Gardner said the administration's budget proposal for the VA will get a much closer examination once details are released in April. He fears that collections would result in:
• Insurance companies passing on the additional costs to covered veterans, raising premiums and fees.
• Increased fees and premiums would result in veterans subsidizing their own injuries, forcing them to pay for parts of their service-connected care.
• Impairing veterans’ ability to obtain private insurance, especially at reasonable rates, which affects not just them, but also their families.
• Employers might look at a veteran differently during the hiring process if they think that he or she would affect the company's health care insurance costs, serving as a disincentive for some businesses to hire veterans.
On 27 FEB, the VFW and 10 other major veterans' and military organizations wrote President Obama to voice their objections to the budget proposal. "The VFW adamantly opposes this proposal, and I am asking every VFW and auxiliary member, as well as every American, to urge their congressional delegations to block this move," said Gardner. "Charging veterans for the VA care they receive for service-connected disabilities and combat wounds is not how a grateful nation takes care of her warriors." If you agree with VFW's position on this issue you can contact your legislators by going to http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/, enter your zip code, click on the VFW Action alert, complete your contact data which will allow you to forward a message which asks your legislators to reject this proposal when it is presented to Congress. [Source: VFW Action Alert 4 Mar 09 ++]
But you really make a good point about two things, contact and financial support to the VSO's. The whole bit about "Other Health Insurance", raises a whole host of issues. All of these costs should be placed under the cost of war. This would include past and present, done. THANKS!
Maybe Obama should do like he said he was going to do: Not spend more money than government takes in. Of course he said that after signing the Pork Bill.
Three other offers I got did.