Uninsured veterans and families in crisis

Health Insurance Crisis Hits Hard on Veterans; 1.8 Million Veterans are Uninsured and At Risk

By Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell


Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) - The health crisis in America, which has left 47 million people without health insurance, is devastating veterans and their families. What does it say about America when the men and women who have risked their lives for our nation can't get access to quality health care at home?

It means there is a crisis that must be addressed.

Our nation spends more than $2 trillion a year on health care and has the best medical researchers and most advanced technology in the world, but we haven't figured out how to provide health insurance for our citizens. This is nothing less than a monumental failure on the part of our society with everyone from state and federal leaders to the medical community at fault.


A study by Harvard Medical School recently documented the plight suffered by veterans and their families because of the health insurance debacle. Of the 47 million people without health insurance, one out of every eight, or 12.2 percent, is a veteran or member of a veteran household. Specifically, the study said 1.8 million veterans and 3.8 million household members are uninsured. And the number of uninsured veterans increased by 290,000 since 2000.

Moreover, the health data on veterans reflects the situation faced by many working families across the country: family income is too high for Medicaid, or in the case of veterans, means-tested care from the Veterans Administration. Yet families can't afford the skyrocketing cost of health insurance. Means testing for veterans benefits results in some veterans earning as low as $24,000 a year not qualifying.

It's unconscionable to think that we ship men and women off to fight wars, and then desert them and their families when they return home. If our nation goes to war, we absolutely must care for the people who fight those wars. Not only do we leave our gallant veterans with poor health-care options, but one out of every four of the homeless in America is a veteran, and countless others run afoul of the law and find themselves in our nation's prisons and jails.
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