The Obama Administration confirmed that it is floating a trial balloon to make wounded US Service members pay for their injuries with private insurance. The proposal is being considered to save money at the Veteran's Administration.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance. Lawmakers say they'd reject a proposal to make veterans pay for treatment of war wounds with private insurance. But the proposal would be "dead on arrival" if it's sent to Congress, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, said. Murray used that blunt terminology when she told Shinseki that the idea would not be acceptable and would be rejected if formally proposed. Her remarks came during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs about the 2010 budget. No official proposal to create such a program has 
been announced publicly, but veterans groups wrote a pre-emptive letter last week to President Obama voicing their opposition to the idea after hearing the plan was under consideration. The groups also cited an increase in "third-party collections" estimated in the 2010 budget proposal -- something they said could be achieved only if the Veterans Administration started billing for service-related injuries. Asked about the proposal, Shinseki said it was under "consideration." "A final decision hasn't been made yet," he said. Currently, veterans' private insurance is charged only when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries, like getting the flu. - You can read the entire story here. Hot Air.com also has an excellent story about it you can read here.
The Obama Administration confirmed that it is floating a trial balloon to make wounded US Service members pay for their injuries with private insurance. The proposal is being considered to save money at the Veteran's Administration.
6 comments:
I have already wrote to my congressman, and both senators referncing the articles.
I voiced my opposition to any move into this direction and I will continue to do so.
We need all veterans and active duty troops to do the same thing.
I don't think that the soldiers should have to pay for their medical treatment, especially service-related injuries. Isn't that the least we can do for them?
Nice post!
This is dispicable. And I thought Clinton treated our servicemen with disrespect. This makes Clinton look like a minor league bastard.
I do believe I may vomit. When I enlisted way back in 1987, I gave a commitment to this nation, and in turn I expected the nation to hold up their end of the bargain and take care of me should I become wounded or disabled in my service. This crapfest is a slap in the face of every person who has ever put on the uniform, and most especially to my comrades who came home from Third World cesspits less than whole, physically and/or mentally. AT first I couldn't believe that Shinseki would go along with this, being a retired General, and then I remembered that he's the genius that made the beret standard wear for ALL soldiers in the Army, thus taking away its elite status, so that everyone could feel special. Kinda like these nambypamby flakes who give every kid a trophy so there's never any losers. (As an aside, most troops I've talked to hate the beret). I guess these a-holes in the Oval Orifice will ask troops to start buying their own ammo now, too.
God help us if this comes to pass!
Surely we can't let it happen. At the rate they're going in D.C., such as not allowing the term "enemy combatant" to be used, we're screwed (pardon my French).
~~~Blessings~~~
Nothing like throwing the disabled under the bus to save money. Especially those who served this country.
Despicable...
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