Trial balloons are a mainstay of Washington. Tell a reporter, hear the public reaction, then kill it or move forward. What idiot in Obama’s circle thought this would get anything but derision and anger? Can you imagine how enlistments will decline if this is done? Our injured vets deserve our country’s best. Period. On the other hand, gotta pay for those AIG bonuses somehow…
Democrats in Congress are organizing to squash a White House proposal that would require veterans to use private insurance to pay for treatment of their combat and service-related injuries.
In a letter being sent to the White House, a group of House Democrats, led by Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA), warned that such a proposal “could harm our veterans and their families in unintended, yet very serious ways, jeopardizing their families’ health care and even negatively affecting veterans’ employment opportunities.”
“While we strongly support your plans to increase funding for the VA by $25 billion over the next five years,” the letter reads, “it is with equal conviction that we oppose the proposal to bill veterans’ private health insurance plans for care and treatment of service-connected injuries or disabilities.”
[...]
Veterans groups say they’re concerned that the Obama proposal could ultimately lead to the privatization of health care for returning soldiers, and note that third-party billing for war-related injuries could result in ballooning insurance costs.
Where are the Republicans, those defenders of all things military, in complaining about this?
Simple solution:
1. Force AIG to start a health insurance busines.
2. AIG then provides health insurance coverage to all veterans at no cost.
More “change” we can believe in.
Why should the general health insurance buying public take on the burden of military health care needs?
Fair is fair and seems to me the military/government/taxpayer should pick up the tab for military healthcare needs.
Can you all see the waste and energy inherent in multiple delivery/payment systems? Again: “Successful healthcare delivery systems are those that deny/shift the most care.”
#15 Mr Fusion
I was watching the news and the person from the AL was giving an interview and said that was what happened. I would have missed it as well.
From http://tinyurl.com/dapbzt
XXXX
The issue arose after President Obama helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Department of Veteran Affairs on Monday. During his remarks, he made no mention of a change in policy. However, in an earlier session with senior leaders of veterans organizations, the topic arose, said David K. Rehbein, commander of the American Legion. He said the proposal involved forcing private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans for service-related ailments.
A letter went out from 11 of the veterans groups. It read, in part: “There is simply no logical explanation for billing a veteran’s personal insurance for care that the VA has a responsibility to provide. While we understand the fiscal difficulties this country faces right now, placing the burden of those fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country is unconscionable.”
XXXX
All you have to do is a Google search which talks about the discussion at the White House with the administration. There were others reporting it as well.
“Where are the Republicans, those defenders of all things military, in complaining about this?”
They are in bed with the private medical insurance providers.
#7 Bobo,
“Some think this is the best system in the world.”
It is, if you can afford it.
Uncle Dave asked, “Where are the Republicans, those defenders of all things military, in complaining about this?”
Ummm, ever hear of Google? 1st search brought up plenty…
U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL)
“The federal government has an obligation to provide the best health care services to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect our nation,” Martinez said. “Placing this unnecessary burden on our veterans is unconscionable. Private companies do not have a moral responsibility to care for our veterans; our government does. Forcing private insurance providers to become stakeholders in the process of caring for our nation’s veterans will also have an impact on premiums making health insurance unaffordable for a new segment of Americans.”
#24, Mr. Diesel,
But you said you said in #5,
#3 billabong
Bullshit. The head of the American Legion was at the White House when the administration announced it in the last few days.
Now why were you saying bullshit? Because Bill in #3 had the unmitigated audacity to say the White House didn’t announce it.
Now, in #24 you turn around and write:
I was watching the news and the person from the AL was giving an interview and said that was what happened.
oopps, no WH Announcement. Maybe further on …
The issue arose after President Obama helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Department of Veteran Affairs on Monday. During his remarks, he made no mention of a change in policy. … .
So, it appears the White House has made no announcement. All we have is what a leader of the American Legion has said something. When pressed, General Shinseki, head of the VA said something different.
Now who should we believe. The White House announcement, of which there wasn’t one, the leader of an organization that wants to see Obama’s administration fail, or the man in charge of the Veterans Administration who would be the one who implements the plan?
I think you owe Bill an apology.
#14:
“What’s the problem? I thought this is what all you Americans wanted. A fully private non-socialized healthcare system. Honestly, make up your minds.”
Outsourcing our military is an orthogonal issue.
Obama doesn’t care about the veterans anymore than he cares about the British.
It’s like when Gen. McCaffrey went to the Clinton White House ‘We don’t talk to people in uniform’
#27 Mr Fusion
Wait a second, how does an announcement get made? Is it only through the media? Is it only through that idiot press secretary?
Maybe it can be in a meeting when someone says something which in this case did happen and it was announced IN the White House.
Okay so words mean things and I was incorrect in calling bullshit on Bill, I apologize.
It was still announced IN if not by the White House (unless you want to argue that it may have been in another building).
Maybe I should just say administration so I will cover all their lame asses everywhere they happen to be when they say something.
It has been a shitty day all around.
There’s also a trial balloon of taxing workers’ health care benefits. You know, the same thing for which he ran ads attacking McCain.
Yeeh but I’m not calling anyone out on it…..
From Victor David Hanson:
What are progressives thinking when they hear of these trial ballons from the Democratically-controlled congress and administration about taxing health-care benefits, making veterans first draw on their own health-care plans for postbellum injuries or stresses, and, now, regulating farmers’ markets in a way that would increase costs and turn them into, well, a sort of Saturday morning DMV experience? I think we can expect some very illiberal ideas coming forth from now on for two good reasons. One, there simply are not enough rich around to squeeze to pay off a $1.7 annual deficit that is fueling a $11 trillion national debt that is growing hourly, and so the voracious federal timberwolf is coming down from the estates of the rich still hungry, and looking for prey anywhere he can find it; and, two, when two liberal creeds collide — like big government and always-growing federal-subsidized bureaucracies versus the little-guy family farmer trying to make a buck outside of the corporate agricultural nexus — the richer and more powerful always win.
Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA), Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) don’t like this proposal and neither do I.
Why would any Vet get health insurance or for that matter why would any insurance company cover them. This is a proposal that wasn’t given much thought. Shifting ones responsibility to someone else is fundamentally wrong. While I can’t stand insurance companies they will not end up being the victims here. They will pass the cost on to you and me, which was our burden, through taxes, to begin with. Adding another layer of red tape only costs us more in the long run.
#3 said “This was invented to make them look bad.This is how our”press” works”
The press invented this story and many members of congress fell for the bogus story? To the point of writing letters to the WH opposing this imaginary proposal?
Rep Glenn Nye (D-VA), along with other house members wrote “While we strongly support your plans to increase funding for the VA by $25 billion over the next five years,” the letter reads, “it is with equal conviction that we oppose the proposal to bill veterans’ private health insurance plans for care and treatment of service-connected injuries or disabilities.”
This sounds exactly as what Uncle Dave said. The WH sent out a trail balloon to see what the reaction would be. This is how D.C. works, no matter the party in power.
SMOKE SCREEN..
LOOK around see what else they are doing..
GET the public to THINK about 1 thing and SLIP something ELSE PAST…
Place it onto another bill and slip BILLIONS out the door..
Is it time to LOCK UP and restrict our gov, from doing anything WITHOUT CONSENT OF THE PUBLIC??
#30, Mr. Diesel,
Wait a second, how does an announcement get made?
The White House will send a notice to the White House Press Corp, or the President will say so in a speech, or a Cabinet Secretary will say it in a speech or press release, and then they will put the announcement on their web site. The White House does not make announcements behind closed doors. They are always out front with them.
So I guess announcing it in a meeting with people doesn’t really count. It’s just used to stir up shit to see if anyone likes the idea.
“Mission Accomplished”
Who ever came up with that idea needs to feel pain without regard to race, party, gender, age, etc.
#38, Mr Diesel,
Perhaps you might need to buy a dictionary, thesaurus, or use an on-line equivalent.
When the White House announces something, it is done in public to publicize the news. If it is done behind closed doors to a select group and they talk about it, it is called a discussion.