Obama *Hearts* Veterans

[guido911]

Who remembers this little gem from Barry:

"One of the best ways that we can honor our fallen soldiers is to honor those who came back, who survived," Obama told the crowd. "And so, to all the veterans who are here, I am grateful to your service and as president of the United States I will not let you down."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/obama-tells-vet.html

I guess making soldiers recovering from battle-related injuries use their private insurance to pay for that care is hope they can believe in:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/obama-tells-vet.html

Oh, and thanks for your sacrifice.

[RipTout]

Yea. Check these out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRocaEfQE&feature=PlayList&p=582F24A0E9D9FD89&index=0&playnext=1

[guido911]

Yea. Check these out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRocaEfQE&feature=PlayList&p=582F24A0E9D9FD89&index=0&playnext=1

It looks as if Obama is moving forward with his plan to have our soldiers' private insurance carriers pay for their battlefield-related injuries. The news is not setting well with the American Legion:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion_strongly_opposed_to_president_s_plan_to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment

My question is, which insurance company will write health insurance for those in our military?

[guido911]

Jon Stewart's take on this issue:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=220571&title=that-cant-be-right-veterans

I understand that Obama has recently backed off this idiocy. He'll have some serious fence-mending to do witht the DAV, American legion, and oh, all those active/reserve soldiers that he claims the government has a "scared trust."

[Cats Cats Cats]

I don't see why using your own insurance that you already have first and then the government picks up the rest.  If nobody will cover them then the government will pick up the tab.  I thought everybody hated the VA hospitals anyway.

[Hoss]

I don't see why using your own insurance that you already have first and then the government picks up the rest.  If nobody will cover them then the government will pick up the tab.  I thought everybody hated the VA hospitals anyway.

Watch the movie 'Article 99' with Ray Liotta and Kiefer Sutherland (about corruption in a Chicago VA hospital).  Great flick.

[cannon_fodder]

I don't see why using your own insurance that you already have first and then the government picks up the rest.  If nobody will cover them then the government will pick up the tab.  I thought everybody hated the VA hospitals anyway.

The problem is that it would serve as a dissuasion for hiring or covering Veterans with private insurance.  As it now stands, a company can hire a veteran with any injury without worrying about an insurance rate increase.  A Veteran (and their family) can get insurance from any provider without fear of that provider having to pay for a catastrophic war injury.  Family members of veterans and of current military personnel can carry insurance with ease.

However, if private insurance was made to accept responsibility of paying for injuries sustained in war these things would not be so straight forward.  Sorry to say it, but if a soldier is a double amputee and had a back injury I wouldn't want to insure his health related to those injuries.  He will need new prosthetics every now and then, he may require back surgery, tons of ongoing rehab, and who knows what else.  Many of these injuries are not as "simple" as coming home and recovering.

In addition, who pays for private insurance losses?    Other people with private insurance.  Clearly many of the soldiers requiring such treatment would be a known loss when they were signed.  So rates would go up on everyone else who has insurance, causing some people to no longer afford it.  In addition to families of military personnel having difficulty getting coverage, the net effect would seem to be to reduce the overall health benefits in our nation.

If our country is responsible for the injuries, our country should pay for it.  I'm not in favor of giving veterans "special" status in every arena, but I think passing the buck to private insurers would not be in the best interest of our health care.

[Cats Cats Cats]

Well, people with private insurance or tax payers are going to pay for it.  Either way everybody else pays.  I am thinking that this has everything to do with Reservists.  I am unable to find the information needed to figure out what will happen with Reservists if injured and how long treatment is covered.  I know Oklahoma passed a law giving them healthcare coverage (if I remember correctly).  Taking on a veteran would hurt smaller companies with insurance premiums, you are correct on that. 

[USRufnex]

trying to get private insurers to absorb VA costs before trying to pass  healthcare reform is a bit like icing the cake before you bake it..... of course, guido wont tell you that Obama has slated the biggest increase the VA budget has seen in THIRTY YEARS. 

[Cats Cats Cats]

Well, this is coming from the republicans who decided that having medicare (the government) be the primary insurance would somehow save the government money.  Mmmm... Insurance company payoff, gotta love it!