Obama: "Hey, while we're spending billions, lets charge Vets for WAR INJURIES" - New England Patriots Forums

Patriot_in_NY · 03-12-2009, 10:23 AM

No, I'm not making this up. In what HAS to be the dumbest political move to date, VA Secretary Shinseki actually confirmed that the Obama camp is considering this.

Quote:

Senators slam plan for wounded vets to use private insurance

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 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.

Just wow..................

***Harry Boy*** · 03-12-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patriot_in_NY

No, I'm not making this up. In what HAS to be the dumbest political move to date, VA Secretary Shinseki actually confirmed that the Obama camp is considering this.

Just wow..................

Barack Hussein Obama and all far left wing bastards like him despise our military, Barack Hussein Obama is a God Damn Socialist Communist, he is hell bent on destroying America as we know it and he is just getting warmed up but in the end Barack Hussein Obama will only destroy himself, America right now is in the middle of a "social experiment" this experiment is already failing.

***Patters*** · 03-12-2009, 11:01 AM

That's bizarre, unless the program pays for the veteran's private health insurance. No one I know thinks those thousands of troops who suffered at the hands of the lying, thieving, corrupt Bush regime should have to pay a dime for their own care.

Patriot_in_NY · 03-12-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patters

That's bizarre, unless the program pays for the veteran's private health insurance. No one I know thinks those thousands of troops who suffered at the hands of the lying, thieving, corrupt Bush regime should have to pay a dime for their own care.

Your messiah does obviously...........

Look on the bright side, "the one" wanted to increase a bipartisan air to Washington. This proposal is JUST the ticket, as the article illustrates, both Repubs and Dems in congress will rise up together and knock this puppy down and fast.

Just the point of proposing it is eyebrow raising, given the billions spent to prop up private industries.

***BelichickFan*** · 03-12-2009, 11:15 AM

This "idea" will go away once it is shown to be very unpopular. It's not a surprise, though, Obama hates the military and everyone in it.

Real World · 03-12-2009, 11:35 AM

What's that quote supposed to mean? I agree with Patters here, that it could easily be explained by providing vets with private insurance coverage. While some might read it as vets paying out of pocket, I read it as possibley meaning that the treatment will be paid by a vets private insurance policy. Who's paying for the policy premium, isn't stated. Maybe it's cheaper (speaking vaguely here), to pay for a vet to have a Tufts plan, than it is to provide VA care. Who knows.

***Leave No Doubt*** · 03-12-2009, 11:39 AM

It'll end up dead in the water for sure but sweetjeezuz how can anyone even propose something like this, even think of something like this?

Quote:

Eleven of the most prominent veterans organizations have been lobbying Congress to oppose the idea. In the letter sent last week to the president, the groups warned that the idea "is wholly unacceptable and a total abrogation of our government's moral and legal responsibility to the men and women who have sacrificed so much."

The groups included The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Nice, seeing as Obama's planning to send how many more troops exactly into Afghanistan.

***DarrylS*** · 03-12-2009, 11:53 AM

If I remember this is not the first time this has come up..

It seems to have originated during the Bush Administration..

Curing Walter Reed Syndrome; A Proposal Even Anti-War Doves Should Embrace

Quote:

Consider an alternative. Suppose that instead of providing those benefits itself, the federal government increased military pay enough to enable new personnel to purchase private insurance to cover service-related injuries and illnesses. (Those include illnesses that manifest themselves years later, such as mental illnesses or birth defects that result from exposure to hazardous substances.)

The pay raise would have to be enough to allow new personnel to purchase "veterans' insurance" that is at least as good as they would receive through the VHA. When they enlist or accept a commission, personnel could be required to purchase health and disability insurance that covers any service-related injuries or illness during that enlistment or commission.

Private insurers would calibrate premiums according to the risks posed by different jobs. Premiums would be higher for helicopter pilots and lower for desk jockeys. To enable everyone to purchase coverage, Congress would have to increase pay for each position according to the risk it entails, much it increases pay during combat. That would basically front-load the cost of caring for service-related injuries.

***Leave No Doubt*** · 03-12-2009, 12:01 PM

Obama did announce a "pay raise" for the military so maybe the expectation is that their "raise" will go towards footing the bill for their own HC. Nice. Lets at least hope our troops and vets get a discount

Real World · 03-12-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarrylS

If I remember this is not the first time this has come up..

It seems to have originated during the Bush Administration..

Curing Walter Reed Syndrome; A Proposal Even Anti-War Doves Should Embrace

Good post. Without specifics, it's impossible to comment about it being a good, or bad idea. If the policy is aimed at eliminating the VA, and moving military members to a private insurance, paid for by the Army, Navy, AF, and Marines, then what's the fuss? The bottom line is what works best, who pays for it, and what the specifics are with respect to finances.