In the words of Michael Jackson, "All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us." The rich need their tax breaks and they don't care if they come from taking away from veterans to pay for it. It was the same story when the troops were sent to Afghanistan and Iraq when contractors were getting whatever they wanted (rich) and they were whining programs for the troops and veterans (poor) were too expensive. If they get their way, we will see more than 18 veterans a day killing themselves, see the homeless veterans population grow and even more regret they risked their lives to end up being treated this way.
VA Care End Eyed for 1.3 Million Vets
Tom Philpott
April 07, 2011
Budget Panel Eyes End to VA Care for 1.3 Million Vets
The House Budget Committee, chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), has told a veterans' group it is studying a plan to save $6 billion annually in VA health care costs by cancelling enrollment of any veteran who doesn't have a service-related medical condition and is not poor.
Committee Republicans, searching for ways to curb federal deficits and rein in galloping VA costs, are targeting 1.3 million veterans who claim priority group 7 or 8 status and have access to VA care.
Priority group 8 veterans have no service-connected disabilities and annual incomes, or net worth, that exceed VA means-test thresholds and VA "geographic income" thresholds, which are set by family size.
Priority Group 7 veterans also have no service-connected disabilities and their incomes are above the means-test thresholds. But their incomes or net worth fall below the geographic index. In other words, because of where they live, in high cost areas, they likely struggle financially.
Joseph Violante, national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, said he first learned of the committee's interest in possibly narrowing access to VA clinics and hospitals from a DAV member from Wisconsin, chairman Ryan's home state.
Violante and other DAV officials arranged their own meeting with a staff member for the committee. He confirmed growing interest in a cost-saving initiative to push priority 7 and 8 veterans out of VA health care.
As this budget committee staffer reminded Violante, proponents for opening VA health care to all veterans had argued it would be cost neutral to VA. That's because VA would charge these vets modest co-payments for their care. Also VA would bill these veterans' private health insurance plans for the cost of their VA care.
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VA Care End Eyed for 1.3 Million Vets
How about we cut all funding to ILLEGAL aliens health and education ($60Billion / year in CA) and foreign aid first? Then cut all pols pay and perks by at least half for a start.
ReplyDeleteHOW ABOUT CUTTING CONGRESS PAY IN HALF FIRST THAN TAKE AWAY THIER MEDICAL. TOO
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that too many freeloaders are riding the VA means when the Veterans that need help are not getting medical care. The sooner that congress votes to remove priority 7, 8 and 9 the better it will become for the deserving veterans.
ReplyDeleteRobert, Freeloaders? Really? Why not tell all veterans that unless they don't have a Purple Heart, they can't go to the VA either? Why stop there? Make sure they can only have their wounded body part taken care of and then go someplace else for the rest?
ReplyDeleteDo you know that veterans in these categories could very well have service connected disabilities but they have their claims tied up? Do you know there are over 400,000 claims waiting months, even years to be approved? Most of them end up getting approved but if you had your way, they wouldn't get any care at all. Until a claim is approved the veteran is not covered. Even if they have 100%, all of their care is not covered. The VA bills Medicare-Medicaid and private insurance companies for anything "non-service connected" but you'd have to go back and read the entire article to find out what else you are missing in this story.
Priority group 7 & 8 Veterans pay a fee for Doctor visits,and a co-pay for medicines.
ReplyDeleteVA also Bills 7 & 8's private insurance co's. VA had also tried to bill medicare for these Vets, but it was refused by congress. Veterans get more personalized care at the VA.
Regular Hospitals treat Veterans and their distinct problems without concern. VA doesen't..
Group 7&8 Veterans pay a fee for Doctors visits and a co-pay for medicines. Their private insurance co's are also billed. Congress stopped VA from billing these Veterans costs to medicare. That hurt, since illegal immigrants even use medicare. Another fact is that the VA is better prepared to deal with Veterans. Private medical
ReplyDeletefacilities aren't.
Brent, not sure about the billing since the VA bills our insurance company for any treatment not connected to my husband's "service connected" needs. He's 100% but the VA does not cover all of his care. Veterans have to show their other medical coverage and are asked to update it at least once a year. It doesn't seem logical they would bill some insurance companies and not all of them.
ReplyDeleteThe other issue is that until a veteran has an approved claim, the private insurance they carry will turn down their claims once the VA doctors connect it to their service. In the case of PTSD, insurance companies can and do refuse to pay for mental health treatments once the VA doctors say it is because of combat. This means veterans have to pay out of pocket until their claim is approved. In my husband's case that took 6 years. We got back most of the money but it was hell getting to that point.