Obama wants wounded vets to use private insurance?

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Senators slam plan for wounded vets to use private insurance

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. [...]

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.

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Everybody knows this won't pass legislation, but a big WTF goes out for even considering it--the word Shinseki used.

In other words, they raised the idea to see what kind of traction it would get, which means they WANT to do it.

Wow thats low, even for the Dems.

ehall said:

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Everybody knows this won't pass legislation, but a big WTF goes out for even considering it--the word Shinseki used.

In other words, they raised the idea to see what kind of traction it would get, which means they WANT to do it.

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Are you even a Vet?

Bush cut per capita spending to the VA Administration. Obama's looking to increase the spending for Vets and to increase the quality of care. Where's the problem with that?

SBrad001 said:

Bush cut per capita spending to the VA Administration.

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...and then there is the reality--Funding for Veterans up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut

Obama's looking to increase the spending for Vets and to increase the quality of care. Where's the problem with that?

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yeah what's the problem with making troops take out private insurance policies for combat injuries, oh sorry it lapsed good luck with the missing leg

SBrad001 said:

Are you even a Vet?

Bush cut per capita spending to the VA Administration. Obama's looking to increase the spending for Vets and to increase the quality of care. Where's the problem with that?

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Would love to see sources of that.

Possibly, you mean Congress cut....

Because, again, 1 man does not have the power to do anything...

JNickel101 said:

Would love to see sources of that.

Possibly, you mean Congress cut....

Because, again, 1 man does not have the power to do anything...

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I'll grant you that.

ehall said:

...and then there is the reality--Funding for Veterans up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut


yeah what's the problem with making troops take out private insurance policies for combat injuries, oh sorry it lapsed good luck with the missing leg

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Did you miss the 'per capita' part? Just curious, do you really think that the per capita spending is the same now as it was 10 years ago? Take a look at the number of disabled vets being treated by the VA now vs 1999. Spending has not kept up with that number.

Plus, I can see the difference every time I step foot in a VA hospital (I'm a 'disabled' vet). It's crowded and the quality of care has dropped in 10 years.

Private insurance is a move away from the socialized medicine that VA & the military has....must be a good thing then...right?

My LCDR (O4) doesn't understand why I chose to go to a private dentist (paid for as part of my spouse's compensation package) rather than the USPHS dentist the Coast Guard has available. I don't understand his object as a staunch Republican.

Boatwrench said:

Private insurance is a move away from the socialized medicine that VA & the military has....must be a good thing then...right?

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Try to keep up here: The deal has historically been that if you are wounded in defense of your country then we will repair and rehabilitate to the best of our ability (insert socialized medicine reference here). If the govt were to farm that out to private healthcare through a compensation program like Medicare that would be good--the govt would probably improve the care that the veterans receive, and would still be satisfying its obligation to care for the veterans. Instead they are advocating an abdication of all responsibility, by switching to a program that puts the responsibility on the soldier. Do you think this is a good idea?

ehall said:

Try to keep up here: <edit> Do you think this is a good idea?

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No..I am being a smart ass.

I'm always taking heat on the political forum for my compassionate, I mean socialist views. Being told that capitalism is the correct economic path and socialism is evil. Based on the capitialism droning it seems logical that getting the soldiers, sailors, airmen & Marines out of the socialized medical system must be good, keeping them in a socilized system is evil and un American.

Why should the country as an employer have to carry non productive employees? That's Union talk! As I am reminded on this forum many times, Unions = BAD. The middle class non productive UAW workers (not the non union managers making the decisions) are what drove GM to bankruptcy.

Must be so because captialism is the ONLY system that works.

If you get all hot and think I'm slamming my the brave men and women of our armed services you are mistaken. I am proud of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that protect our freedoms and do more to support them on a daily basis than most of the folks on this board. If this country broke them, this country needs to make them as whole as possible.

I get bothered by folks that think the conservative right has a better plan than the liberal left and vice versa when both have valid ideas.

Again in my original post I was being a smart ass.

ehall said:

...and then there is the reality--Funding for Veterans up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut


yeah what's the problem with making troops take out private insurance policies for combat injuries, oh sorry it lapsed good luck with the missing leg

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http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=244291154&postcount=16

:roll:

EDIT: Did you notice the date stamp on that article? Feb 2008, a whopping 11 months after the Iraq war started. A few things at the VA has changed since then.

buschwhaked said:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=244291154&postcount=16

:roll:

EDIT: Did you notice the date stamp on that article? Feb 2008, a whopping 11 months after the Iraq war started. A few things at the VA has changed since then.

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I hope that's a fat fingered turtle typing typo. I happen to personally know for a fact that the Tomahawks returned to Baghdad in March 2003. Feb 2008 is more than 11 months after March 2003.

I was in Iraq before Feb 08 and lost friends in Iraq before Feb 08

buschwhaked said:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=244291154&postcount=16

:roll:

EDIT: Did you notice the date stamp on that article? Feb 2004, a whopping 11 months after the Iraq war started. A few things at the VA has changed since then.

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fixed for ya!

whitneyj said:

I was in Iraq before Feb 08 and lost friends in Iraq before Feb 08

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So did I.

SBrad001 said:

fixed for ya!

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Thanks!