Vet groups hail Obama reversal on insurance

Vet groups hail Obama reversal on insurance
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 19, 2009 17:43:02 EDT

A political blunder that made the Obama administration seem like a penny-pincher on veterans health care could end up solidifying support for the new president and his staff from some military and veterans groups.

Although the groups are not at all pleased that the administration toyed with the idea of billing veterans’ private insurance companies for treatment of service-connected conditions, the fact that President Barack Obama and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, met with the groups, listened to their concerns and ultimately dropped the idea appears to have won them some respect.

Retired Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., president of the Military Officers Association of America, was one of the representatives at two White House meetings.

“The president indicated on Monday that he was there to listen to our concerns and was willing to drop the proposal if we could not support its merits,” Ryan said. “To their credit, they listened and responded promptly, and we appreciate that.”

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