Show Us the Money: Iraq Veterans React to the VA Budget
A few weeks ago, the White House unveiled its budget with the fanfare and media blitz fit for a coronation. While the big proposals on climate change and health care took center stage in the dog-and-pony show, the budget also included an outline of funding for every veterans' hospital and clinic nationwide.
So what did team IAVA think of Obama's plan for veterans?
Overall, the President seems to have put his money where his mouth is. The top line number for veterans' discretionary funding is about $1.2 billion higher than the amount recommended by leading veterans' organizations, including IAVA. The budget plans increase VA funding by $25 billion over five years. That's a real victory.
Of course, the entire annual veterans' budget is still less than we've given AIG since September - but I'll put that aside for a moment, and get to the real policy. Despite his skills on the basketball court, Obama's budget is still not a slam dunk for veterans.
First, Obama hasn't opened up VA health care coverage to every veteran. This is a major misstep. In this economy, as veterans across the country lose their jobs and with it their health insurance, they should be able to turn to the VA for care. But the Administration only plans to bring about 500,000 moderate-income veterans into VA health care by 2013. This is a drop in the bucket compared to the roughly 1.8 million veterans who lack health insurance, and it doesn't even include all of the 565,000 veterans who have been denied VA care since 2003. Every single veteran signed the dotted line to serve their country, and each and every one of them should be eligible for VA health care.
Just as important, new veterans are disappointed that the President has not opted to include advance appropriations for the VA in his budget proposal. Advance appropriations doesn't cost any additional money, it just gives VA hospitals and clinics advance notice of the funding they will receive the following year. Right now, VA hospitals have no way of knowing what their budget will be next year. When the budget is passed late (and it usually is), hospitals have to make hard choices about their funding - and that means rationed care for veterans. Advance appropriations is a common-sense solution that Obama supported as a candidate, and he should have been out in front on this issue. This campaign promise got pushed to the side, and nobody in America seemed to notice.
Luckily for veterans, we've got some great allies in Congress - led by Senator Akaka and Representative Filner -- who are moving advance appropriations forward. And while we may not see Rahm Emanuel and Rush Limbaugh sitting down to tea anytime soon, we have seen great support from both sides of the aisle for advance appropriations. IAVA joined these lawmakers and others at a press conference a few weeks ago to mark the introduction of advance appropriations legislation, and we'll be fighting every step of the way to get that bill passed this year.
To help get advance appropriations moving forward, I'm going to be testifying today before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. And I'm going to tell them just what I told you - Obama's budget is a good start, but it's up to Congress to close the deal for veterans. Interested in hearing how Congress responds? You can watch video of the testimony here.
When it comes to how the politicians spend our money, the devil is always in the details. It'll be months before we see the finished product on this budget. There have been rumors of new fees and premiums veterans will have to pay to get health care. That's not only bad policy, it's bad politics, because every veterans group in the country will oppose it vigorously. I can't believe the Obama Administration would make that kind of rookie mistake when it comes to supporting our veterans. But I can tell you one thing now - if Congress or the Administration think they can write billion dollar checks for Wall Street but nickel-and-dime our veterans, they've got another thing coming.
Crossposted at IAVA.org.
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Have you seen or heard anything like this....?
This is change I cannot believe.
"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."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/veterans.health.insurance/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker
Scooperss: Got news for you, they are already doing this (illegally). I complained to my private insurance company about it, thinking they would like to save money and they acted like they could care less.
I get bills from the VA on a regular basis for treatment I receive for service connected injuries. Typically I ignore the letters for a few months and then call their collections dept and dispute the charges. So far all the charges have been dropped though it did take some arguing.
This is not new, Col "Bud" Day has long fought for our VA benefits that were cut under Clinton.
I know they charge insurance companies for non-service connected health problems but I did not know they were doing it for service related health problems.
That's wrong on so many levels.
can we jst enjoy what he did do for the moment ty
Joining the military is an individual employment choice. In most respects and for most recruits, it is a form of gainful employment. For every combat trooper, perhaps five or six other military personnel are required to provide service and backup: plumbers, electricians, clerks, delivery folks, maintenance mechanics and so on. The military, in other words, is a scaled down version of the larger American economy--and most veterans never see combat while they perform their supportive roles in maintaining the large machine.
It would make sense to me if the benefits provided to veterans and retired veterans matched those in the larger, "other" economic world. Most of our fellow citizens do not enlist in the military to get killed--or to lay their lives on the line. Most enlist because it is an opportunity. It may be appropriate to compensate combat veterans for extraordinary service and risk. It is not appropriate to compensate a military plumber or clerk above and beyond what the rest of us expect from the vicissitudes of the economy and job market.
khepri, are you that uninformed about military service (your comment is truly idiotic and stupid)? The armed forces are the only job in America that requires you to risk your life. The government also owns you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no overtime pay here. You are locked into this servitude for the period of your contract and even longer with their back door draft of stop/loss and/or recalling to active duty after you completed your active duty obligation because you are in the reserves. My guess is you are a republican who never served.
"Joining the military is an individual employment choice"
I think I'll tell my DRAFTED bro-in-law and my DRAFTED brother and my DRAFTED husband that being in the military was an employment choice for them.
For some reason, I think I will get an argument from all.
omg not to be sentical here but obama has done more then any president so far for vets lets just enjoy what he did do for the moment
Uh, no. The budget debate is happening now--and so is our reaction.
Keep moving, Rieckhoff.
Thanks for all you do us.
Mark Finelli
Sole WTC/9.11 Survivor to Enlist in the Marines and Fight in Iraq.
If we had universal health care than every citizen in the U.S. would be covered, including our veterans, myself included.
I've learned after I got out in the 70's, the democrats really don't support us veterans; they just didn't give a cra p. It wasn't until they realized it was politically advantageous to do so, around 2001. this is just another example of their disrespect.
omg god the ungratefull one thing i learn u cant plz all the folk all of the time , when have rpublicans stood up pz elaborate
One sure way to fix it would be to make it mandatory that members of Congress receive their health care at the VA. If the VA is good enough for our veteran's , it is good enough for our elected representatives.
the lord and ladies of the lower house and the house of lords wouldn't have it. they are too big to fail.
If we put our men and women in harms' way and expect them to defend our country and way of life, we should give them all the medical assistance our country can afford, BEFORE we bail out anyone else. VA healthcare access for every veteran is our responsibility in exchange for their protecting our land, and fighting our wars while civillians sit at home being consumers. Keep up the hard work, Paul. I am definitely forwarding this post to my family and friends in hopes of bringing some civillian awareness to this issue. Many, many thanks for all that you, and IAVA, do for our vets!
Thanks for your support, MrsManarlican!
First, the VA infrastructure has to be fortified for the large influx of vets that need the care. As it stands right now, the VA is having problems taking care of the ones already receiving care, and the process will be slow, but steady.
BTW - I served in the Navy for 20 years, and have seen first hand how lousy it is right now, especially the care for female veterans. I believe he will move to take care of this issue, but he probably (I am not in the meetings, so I don't know) wants to make sure that the evolution is not a clusterf@$k. Those of us that were in the military know what it is like to be told to go ahead and have to wait because nobody was ready or was ill-prepared.
Yup so far Obama approach to veterans of this country is to give some some money and maybe they will go away. He is willing to help stupid people who got themselves in trouble and banks but so far vet health care, hospitals etc. are not on his radar. But thats nothing new Bush crapped on vets too, its fairly typical.
I also may have a "bias" as I was in the service 25 years ago, and I am not right wing by any standards...
In fact, i am gay, a democrat and my brother is sure I am a closet socialist!
However RightWingMarine and I agree completely on this subject! I know first hand the sacrifices
that are made buy the vet when they raise their right hand and swear to defend the constitution...
I would only add that the families of these vets share in these sacrifices and in their own way serve along with the vet. I believe that I owe my very freedom to those that served and those that are serving now...
Nothing is too good for them and their families...
I agree completly on the healthcare for vets. From my handle it is obvious that I have a bias but I like to believe that I would support this even if I had not served. This is not socialism as so many like to throw around. The veteran performed a service and VA healthcare should be part of the compensation for that service.
really?... I thought that from your point of veiw that he was working for theives, being paid with stolen money... now you want him to get more stolen money?
wow...
I happen to completely agree with healthcare for vets, and proper protection for soldiers in the field and for soldiers to be used only when necessary, not for the machismo of presidents and generals or for the enrichment of well connected businesses.
I'm against universal health care. If my neighbor becomes sick I will help him in any way I can but I am free to do so voluntarily. His being my neighbor doens't grant him a right to my help. Conversely, we need a military for national defense and this military is sent to fight the wars as directed by the President. In the course of fighting these wars some will become injured and require lifelong medical care. As a benefit of that service we give the vet all the VA treatment he can stand. Unfortunatly not all medical problems arising from service are apparent right away. Some disabilities do not become apparent until years later and if the vet did just 4 or 6 years (active or reserve contract) then the VA doesn't care about the disability because it wasn't reported during a period of service. I believe that as a benefit of service we should provide health care to all of our vets but because they served, not because they are citizens.
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