Dems Fuming Over White House Plan To Make Vets Pay For Service Injuries

Democrats in Congress are organizing to squash a White House proposal that would require veterans to use private insurance to pay for treatment of their combat and service-related injuries.

In a letter being sent to the White House, a group of House Democrats, led by Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA), warned that such a proposal "could harm our veterans and their families in unintended, yet very serious ways, jeopardizing their families' health care and even negatively affecting veterans' employment opportunities."

"While we strongly support your plans to increase funding for the VA by $25 billion over the next five years," the letter reads, "it is with equal conviction that we oppose the proposal to bill veterans' private health insurance plans for care and treatment of service-connected injuries or disabilities."

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) is leading a similar effort in coordination with Nye. Her letter is even more forcefully worded, calling the White House proposal "deeply troubling" and charging that it "ignores the mission of the VA."

"We cannot compromise on the promise we have made to those who serve our Nation," Kirkpatrick states.

Additionally, in a statement to the Huffington Post, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, one of the foremost champions of veterans' concerns in the Senate, called the issue of outsourcing health coverage from the VA a non-starter.

"Treatment for service-connected injuries is clearly within the responsibility of the U.S. government through the Department of Veterans Affairs -- period," Webb said.

The Obama administration has insisted that they are non-committal when it comes to a final decision on the actual policy, and White House officials will meet for the second time with veterans groups on Wednesday.

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During his press conference on Tuesday, spokesman Robert Gibbs pointed out the president has pledged an "11 percent increase in the discretionary spending" in the VA budget.

Veterans "can have confidence that the budget the president has proposed represents an historic increase in discretionary spending to take care of our wounded warriors," said Gibbs. "[T]his president takes very seriously the needs of our wounded warriors that have given so much to protect our freedom on battlefields throughout the world."

Veterans groups say they're concerned that the Obama proposal could ultimately lead to the privatization of health care for returning soldiers, and note that third-party billing for war-related injuries could result in ballooning insurance costs.

While giving the administration the benefit of the doubt that they may dismiss the proposal, Jon Soltz, executive director of VoteVets, nevertheless offered preemptive disappointment.

"We don't know if this is going to be the proposal, or if it is a serious consideration or not," he told the Huffington Post. "So, it's premature to go to the White House with pitchforks at this point. That having been said, if it is proposed, we would be opposed, and can't imagine any veterans group that would be for it. There's no appetite for it on the Hill, either. There are ways to eliminate waste at every level of government, though, including the VA. I think we'd all like to sit down with the administration and find areas of the VA budget that are redundant or wasteful, to make sure every dollar spent there is necessary."

Here is the full letter being circulated by Rep. Nye:

March 17, 2009 The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States The White House Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President,

We first want to take this opportunity to thank you for the clear commitment your administration's budget outline makes to our nation's veterans. The proposed 10 percent increase in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for next fiscal year is truly historic. We believe the 2010 budget will ensure the VA never again faces the chronic under-funding that prevented countless veterans from receiving the health benefits they have earned.

While we strongly support your plans to increase funding for the VA by $25 billion over the next five years, it is with equal conviction that we oppose the proposal to bill veterans' private health insurance plans for care and treatment of service-connected injuries or disabilities.

We do not give our veterans health care - they earn it - and it would be unacceptable for the VA to ask our veterans to pay for the treatment of injuries received while serving our nation in uniform. That responsibility belongs to the VA, and it would be wrong to outsource the responsibility of covering the care of those veterans to private insurance companies.

Additionally, this proposal could harm our veterans and their families in unintended, yet very serious ways, jeopardizing their families' health care and even negatively affecting veterans' employment opportunities. Billing a veteran's private health insurance for the treatment of service-connected injuries could lead to increased health care premiums, and could potentially discourage employers from hiring veterans.

We know you are committed to expanding employment opportunities for veterans. Already this year, your administration and Congress have worked to create countless jobs for veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this proposal would undermine our efforts.

We urge you to take this proposal off the table, and let us instead focus on ensuring that our veterans receive the full care and benefits they have earned. The moral obligation our nation has to our veterans demands nothing less. We are happy to discuss these issues with you further as we move toward a final budget for the VA.

We would like to thank you again for your commitment to improving care for the men and women who have borne the battle, and who have sacrificed their health and well-being in serving their country. Thank you for your service to our nation.

Comments

[eahce]

We have no money for the vets that put their life's on the line for their country, instead we have to turn our hard earned present and future dollars to the private banks so they could reward their execs with millions in bonuses for their failures. Otherwise known as a chapter of the new world order.

[realpolitic]

Whosyourdaddy, you have been making a big fuss on this issue! Did you make a similar stink when Bush cut veteran's benefits by $14.6 billion, or extended combat deployments from a year to 16 months, or when the pyschologist in his VA ordered doctors not to make diagnosis of PTSD in order to save money? Did you make a stink when conditions at Walter Reed during the Bush administration were allowed to degenerate to appalling living conditions, including black mold, cheap mattresses and cockroaches? Did you holler when Bush vetoed increasing educational benefits for veterans and then Congress exercised its first override of a presidential veto during his adminstration? What did you say whe Bush let soldiers fight the war with substandard equipment like lousy vests and unarmoured humvees? Probably nothing, but if so, show your posts from the time complaining about the Bush treatment of vets!

[Roguewolf]

You need to do some fact checking, how long did people deploy during WWII and Korea and Vietnam? Bush inherited a military that was severly undermanned and with depleted resources that was part of the Clinton Administration. President Bush significantly increased military funding to catch up from his predecessor.

http://www.factcheck.org/funding_for_veterans_up_27_but_democrats.html

Funding for Veterans up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut
February 18, 2004
Money for Veterans goes up faster under Bush than under Clinton, yet Kerry accuses Bush of an unpatriotic breach of faith.
Summary
In the Feb. 15 Democratic debate, Kerry suggested that Bush was being unpatriotic: “He’s cut the VA (Veterans Administration) budget and not kept faith with veterans across this country. And one of the first definitions of patriotism is keeping faith with those who wore the uniform of our country.”
It is true that Bush is not seeking as big an increase for next year as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs wanted. It is also true that the administration has tried to slow the growth of spending for veterans by not giving new benefits to some middle-income vets.

Yet even so, funding for veterans is going up twice as fast under Bush as it did under Clinton. And the number of veterans getting health benefits is going up 25% under Bush's budgets. That's hardly a cut.

[realpolitic]

In the eight years of the Clinton administration the increase "in funding for vets" was 31.7%

http://www.factcheck.org/funding_for_veterans_up_27_but_democrats.html

Of course, Bush should increase veteran's funding moreso than predecessor. He has so many more wounded and permanently disabled vets due to his unnecessary war in Iraq and mismanagement of war in Afghanistan. You should think alittle before repeating GOP talking points.

[JulieSA]

Excuse me for butting in.

Bush increased VA spending by 50%.

Many soldiers have been diagnosed with PTSD, so your story about the psychiatrist seems unlikely.

At WRAMC, the problem area was a living area in the back that not many people were aware of. As soon as Bush and Gates found out about it, they fired the Secretary of Army and the WRAMC commander, and set a new commission to fix the problem. Most people agree that the care and the facility of the actual hospital there has been excellent. Same with the other military hospitals.

Bush vetoed the GI Bill because the Dems politicized it in an election year by intentionally loading it with pork, and the Republicans had an alternative, clean bill. Many of the Republican legislators reluctantly went along with the Dems because they were outnumbered, and they were scared to vote against it in an election year. They knew that the Dems would use it against them, and so they have. You just did.

There is always innovation in equipment, which is good, but there's always a lag time in getting the latest thing to the troops. It's inevitable, and it will happen under CinC Obama as well. He'll benefit from the experience of the last eight years, so hopefully it will happen less often.

[sonofsamphm1c]

The Republican bill was clean? LMAO.

[realpolitic]

Julie, unfortunately your comments show you care about resurrecting Bush's image more than you do about the troops.

Regarding educational funding for troops. Bush vetoed the Webb (D) GI bill, bipartisan legislation that would have greatly expanded educational benefits for members of the military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush did so because "officials in charge of Pentagon personnel worry that a more generous and expansive GI Bill would create an incentive for troops to get out of the military and go to college."

McCain even stated his opposition for a similar reason ""In my life, I have learned more from noncommissioned officers I have known and served with than anyone else outside my family," McCain said at a Memorial Day event in Albuquerque. "They are very hard to replace. Encouraging people to choose to not become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly.""

McCain even supported an "alternative bill that he thought would have less of an impact on retention rates by giving fewer benefits for soldiers only serving a few years. You know, like many of the soldiers who've served in Iraq and Afghanista­n." This bill is the alternative one that Bush wanted that Julie rationalizes was supported by the Bush White House because it was less pork laden. Sure!

http://www.raisingkaine.com/archive/16761.htm

[realpolitic]

Regarding the filthy conditions at Walter Reed Hospital: According to the Washington Post: "The entire building 18, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses­." 700 patients lived in the building.

This neglect began with a push to accelerate the privatization of services at Walter Reed by the Bush administration. The privatization contract was given to a firm called IAP. "Management of the company is now in the hands of Al Neffgen and David Swindle, two former executives with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root—one of the giants of military outsourcing and the subject of numerous allegations about overcharging the federal government­."

Julie says, "As soon as Bush and Gates found out about it, they fired the Secretary of Army." Gates was not even Defense Secretary at the time. And what did Rumsfield do? He had the building painted to hide the mold. Then Army Secretary Harvey "fired the general in charge but replaced him with the former commander who many veterans blame for allowing things to deteriorate in the first place."

So Rumsfeld did nothing and was not fired until his unpopularity in part caused Republicans to lose their majority in Congress in the 2006 elections. He was replaced by Bob Gates who then fired Army Secretary Harvey.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/Weightmansubpoena/
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2007/03/05/so_this_is_what_accountability/

[realpolitic]

About PTSD diagnosis, last year " U.S. Senator Barack Obama today sent the following letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, calling on him to investigate reports that a psychologist at a Texas Veterans Affairs (VA) facility told staff members to refrain from diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to reduce costs. According to today's Washington Post, the psychologist, Ms. Norma Perez, apparently emailed Teague Center staff members suggesting the alternative diagnosis to limit the number of tests required to diagnose PTSD. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, thousands of service members have returned home suffering from combat-related psychological injuries like PTSD, which require much-needed treatment.­"

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfMAY08/nf051708-1.htm

For space reasons, I won't go into the lack or necessary life-saving equipment for troops. The company that produced the life-saving up-armored humvees told Rumsfield that they could produce more than he requested and on a faster basis but he ignored them. Soldiers often had to buy their own ceramic body armor which could stop bullets fired from assault rifles because the army had a short fall. The cost of the armor was several thousand dollars.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-03-26-body-armor_x.htm

[txkayrose]

Um, hello? The VA already bills private health insurance for care, service-related or not.
It's important to realize that the VA act as both the care provider AND the insurance plan. What the article is describing is called subrogation - it happens all the time in the insurance world.(I do this for a living)
Nowhere does the article mention denying care or services to the veterans or even charging THEM for the care they need, based on lack of payment from an outside insurer.
In my husband's case, he has a good job with excellent benefits. He got this job, in large part, due to his military service, and his current employer benefits GREATLY from his time in. The VA bills his employer-sponsored plan for his care, which includes some service related injuries, and we never see a bill, regardless of what BC/BS does or does not pay.
While I understand the concern over possibly short-changing veterans who served so bravely, I refuse to take my cues from Congressmen & interest groups who know little about insurance and nothing about the minutiae of coordination of benefits.

[Paralogos]

Thank you for tossing a pebble of knowledge into this swamp of ignorant panic.

[zetaetatheta]

I think private health care services would be great, especially for those that live far away from VA hospitals. One caveat though, insurance must be provided by the military with zero co-pays.

[JulieSA]

McCain wanted to make the benefit more portable. You would get a card from the VA that you could use to pay at private facilities. This would've been especially helpful for vets in small towns and rural areas, but useful for others, too. For example, my friend who has a small business has to take off half a day to go across town and wait for VA care when he gets sick. He says the care is great, but the inconvenience of waiting hurts his business. Sometimes he just pays to go to a private doctor nearby because he can't afford the commute and the wait at the VA.

[zorak1704]

This has been going on for years. The VA always trys to bill a vets private insurance for care. The insurance always rejects it. If you keep throwing crap against the wall, some is bound to stick.

[CrzyRussell]

For non service connected treatment. Obama wants to bill for treaments from service connected injuries.

[Pleneras]

Did he say it? Where's his quoted comment? Don't believe the conservative commander. All this is based on his letter and assumptions of what is not an Obama plan, nothing more.

[superbowl3]

If Democrats are fuming than why don’t they do something about it? They control the house, the senate, and the last time I checked they have a democratic president so excuse me for thinking that they are all full of sh** with their outrage!

[Lavafalls]

They are. That is what the story is about. Did you read the story or do you just have comprehension problems?

[CrzyRussell]

While I am at the VA today I'll check with the guys to see what they think of this and report back here.

[sonofsamphm1c]

My father is in VA care every day. I already know what I think of this proposal. I think it's perfectly reasonable; that it will save the VA a lot of money; and that my father's private health insurance company will finally have to stop running their decades old scam.

[CrzyRussell]

Well, my insurance company didn't send me off to war so they shouldn't pay the bill. All this will do is use up my insurance so my family won't be covered. Most likely they will raise my rates or drop me entirely.

[juanjo]

I am in complete agreement that the VA should cover all service related matters for vets. It is the the least this country can do to pay them back for their service to this country. I am not completely convinced that this story accurately portrays what the Obama administration wants to do but I don't know enough one way or another to say anything about that.

What I do find of interest is that many of the politicians who opposed a single payer medical system for all US citizens and legal resident are ferocious in their defense of this system for veterans. They praise the VA medical system for exactly the things that they say a single payer system cannot do for regular people. Do you suppose it hurts one's mouth to talk out of both sides simultaneously?

[realpolitic]

Hey whosyourdaddy, you seem to care very much about this issue, but really you are a partisan hack.

Did you complain when the Bush administration cut veteran's benefits by $14.6 billion, or when Bush extended combat deployments from a year to 16 months, or when the Bush administration VA pyschologist ordered doctors not to diagnose symptoms of PTSD in order to save money?

Did you complain when Bush provided substandard equipment to the troops, from vests to Humvee's to helmets?

Or how about when Bush vetoed the measure to extend troops additional educational benefits and it took Congress to override his veto?

Did you complain when Bush denied funds to the VA and facilities, such as Walter Reed Hospital, which allowed them to collapse into filth and conditions of mold, mice and rot, with every effort made to deny any responsibilty for the conditions that existed?

Show us your posts that complained of these measures during the Bush administration!

[Rule Of Law]

I've put him on ignore. He's a paid tro//.

[MrMostly]

Think about the insurance companies. I suspect that the insurance companies are behind resistance to this. They are forever looking for pre-existing conditions to exclude from your coverage. Just because you hurt your knee 30 years ago in the service, does that mean that forever anything that happens to your knee is on the VA?
There are legitimate claims to the VA but having it used as a lifetime free medical coverage card just takes away resources from those that truely need it.

[unprofor]

This is a very simplistic view of the world. In the civilian work place if I hurt my knee on the job I can sue my employer and set myself up with the ability to have my knee taken care of for the next 30 years. In the military if I hurt my knee I get to go to sick call and maybe get a profile for a few weeks. In Mr Mostly's world if I continue to have recurring problems with that knee as a service related injury I'm just out of luck. In the military we don't get to sue our employer for work related injuries. Part of our contract is that we will be medically taken care of for those work related injuries even if it is 30 years later.

[scottinsd]

I disagree with your comment...­I'm a veteran of the submarine service, and I can tell you that the VA is NOT being "used as a lifetime free medical coverage card" at all. I use the VA hospital for all of my medical needs, because my company's insurance plan is an absolute joke. Not only would it cost me hundreds of dollars (per month) for basic coverage; the plan hardly covers anything substantial (I had to pay 750 dollars out of pocket to cover an MRI on my foot....wh­ile on this plan). The VA system has been revamped many times over the years, and one of the major overhauls involved copayments for people like me who have jobs but can't afford insurance through their employers. Your implication that this service is "free" is incorrect; the copayment is based on your level of income. In a nation that doesn't have universal healthcare coverage, I'd be pretty hard pressed to complain about a system that takes care of the folks who defend your freedoms by sacrificing themselves on the battlefield. Shame on you.

[Pleneras]

I have a job and I'm still 60% compensated and never have to pay a co-pay. You only pay a co-pay if you are less than 30% compensated and if it is not related to a service connected injury or illness. You have a flu and instead of visiting your doctor you visit the VA medical clinic, then that is taking away VA funds needed for those who are in need of service connected medical care and taking away a time slot for them as well.

Very simple way of seeing what is wrong with using VA for other than - services. They have a right to bill your insurance company. Why would you care? At least they saw you, right? Could be they might just make you go to your DOCTOR for such non-related issues.

[sonofsamphm1c]

My father has Japanese steel in his knee. He continued on the field of battle for another 35 days. The VA has paid him for that for 64 years - as they should.

On the other hand, I have a big problem with people who steal my father's heroic service to his nation from him and use it to bash his political party by lying about what Obama actually has proposed here.

[AZ AF VET]

As a matter of fact it does mean just that. I was hit by a vehicle while on duty from behind when I was 21. I fractured a vertebrae in my lower back. That was 43 years ago and I have had to live with back pain since that time. During my working years, I used my companies provided health care for my medical problems. When I retired at 62, I lost my insurance coverage and I now go to the VA for my health as I have been certified as having a service connected disability.

[blindjester]

What's wrong with vets having lifetime medical coverage?

I think that should be a minimum expectation.

[lj9283]

If you gave years of your life in service to this country, you have the right to expect, and the citizens of this country have an obligation to provide Health Care coverage.

[Roxanna]

We all know about private insurance and how one has to fight for anything they get.

This would be a terrible for our veterans. I am truly disappointed the Obama administration would propose this.

It is a way for the government to get rid off the enormous on going cost, we have yet to know, from these two reckless wars.

Dump on our soldiers but bail out the banks... Disgusting!

[mtdem4ever]

Oh lordy, the anti-Obamas are out in force on this one.

[Roguewolf]

It is not anti-Obama, it is anti-policy. I am a conservative but I disagreed with Bush on many issues.

[CrzyRussell]

He is wrong on this one.

Last time I check Obama is a human and humans make mistakes. There is nothing wrong on calling him out on it.

[Pleneras]

Until these charges are confirmed by Obama himself you cannot pass assumptions as truths.

[FrankenPC]

Wow! One single concept with no real anchor and suddenly people loose faith in Obama's good judgment. Why are Americans only two steps away from insanity at any given moment?

Step 1) Doubt is issued
Step 2) Lash out at anyone in the line of sight.

sorry, forgot step 3) If you are a Republican, take step 1 and amplify it. Then take step 2 and profit from it.

[CrzyRussell]

This came straight from Obama's lips. If this goes though it could cause me to go without medical care so there is insurance left to cover my daughter.

[Paralogos]

If you've got a verbatim transcript of what Obama actually said - or a pointer to an audio or video clip - would you please post a link to it?

[Pleneras]

Where's the quote other than some conservative commander wanting us to foot the bill for a working vet with a healthcare plan when his issues are non service connected?

[ResistanceisFutile]

I believe there is something seriously wrong with someone who joins an organization that is dedicated to killing, torture and general destruction.

However, these government employees should have free lifetime medical care whether or not they were injured.

Of course, all U.S. Citizens should have free health care, but, in the short run, it will be easier to provide these people with free health care, if the drum beat of patriotism is constant.

[Roguewolf]

Is there something wrong with someone who joins an organization thats sole purpose is to defend the constitution and the peolple of the United States, which by the way gives you the right to say what you feel?

[ResistanceisFutile]

The end never justify the means.

[unprofor]

It's comments like these that are immature and totally void of any intellectual value unless they are talking about Al Queda or the Mob. Your military is provided to you by the provisions of the Constitution to protect and defend the United States. They are not dedicated to killing, torture and general destruction as you so childlishly articulated. By the same token you probably think your local police department is an organization solely dedicated to tazering, beating down minorities, and using deadly force for the fun of it. Open your eyes, see the world for what it is, and thank those who have the responsiblity to their country to allow you the opportunity to even make comments like you made in this blog.

[ResistanceisFutile]

Ok Mr. Orwell, you have convinced me. They are brokers of peace.

At one time the local police fit the picture you paint. They have changed because change at a local level is easier to bring about.

I see the world for what it is. I see Russia threatening to start up the cold war arms race and I see people like you more than happy to oblige them.

[tiktokklok]

Your post is exactly why we need to reinstitute the military draft. ALL citizens should be required to serve in the military for 4 years immediately after high school. Perhaps that would help people like you to grow up.

[ResistanceisFutile]

Warmonger. We need a draft like you need another hole in your head.

I was drafted, how about you?

[nicole44]

We should NOT have universal health care!! Do you people realize the level of care you will get?!? Try 5 months to see a specialst, doctors wont wan to be involved in the profession b/c of lack of pay, good luck being able to take your sick kid to see a ped. right away. Why do you think the people in Canada ALWAYS complain about it? they come down here to get taken care of. the only good thing about their system is the perscriptions are cheaper. anyone can get healthcare, i dont understand why people act like its super expensive. my old job did not offer good benifits so i got off my butt and looked for it on my own. it took me 5 minutes to find a cheap rate. good Lord people, wake up.

[ResistanceisFutile]

The last time I tried to get an appointment with a specialist, I was told it would be six months. Your ignorance about the Canadian healthcare system shows.

Just imagine what your wait would be here if another 50,000,000 million Americans were in the healthcare system. You'd be going to Canada for treatment.

Everyone there has healthcare from the physician of their choice. Neither the patient or the physician has to waste their time with paper work just to pay and get pay. Administrative costs are 5% in Canada and 35% in the good old U.S. of A.

[SammyD]

this is how we treat the people who serve this country? Wonder how the enlistment numbers will go?