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?




  1. bobbo says:

    Nonsense is self-evident. Insurance plans do not pay for “prior existing conditions.” To do so would be like taking out fire insurance on your house AFTER it has burned to the ground.

    Likewise, how is the “uninsured” veteran expected to pay?

    This sounds more like BushtheRetards plan to do the same thing that was thrown in the trash and instead of getting burned it was re-leaked to the press.

    Still garbage though.

  2. Mr Diesel says:

    What private insurance?? If they are active duty military they have insurance and health care through the military. Maybe they are thinking the spouse have private insurance and that it will pay for it. Hardly, as the spouses are covered by the military health coverage as well.

    As for prior existing conditions not being that covered that is not true. That MAY be the case in some instances but I have changed jobs several times and my prior existing conditions have always been covered.

    Yes, garbage no matter which dumbass administration floats it.

  3. billabong says:

    No one in the administration even brought this up.This was invented to make them look bad.This is how our”press” works.When you don’t investigate anything you make it up.We are so screwed.

  4. Benjamin says:

    So many broken promises to veterans. What do you expect from a man who never spent a day in service of his country. McCain lived in a prison camp in Viet Nam and would never come up an idea of screwing the veterans for to save a few bucks, while bailing out AIG so they can pay for executive bonuses.

  5. Mr Diesel says:

    #3 billabong

    Bullshit. The head of the American Legion was at the White House when the administration announced it in the last few days.

  6. Improbus says:

    @Benjamin

    Don’t put any politician on a pedestal … they have feet and hearts of clay. As to the issue at hand, I don’t know why anyone volunteers for service considering our governments track record on screwing over vets.

  7. bobbo says:

    #2–Diesel==just for general info==the standard insurance policy does not cover prior existing conditions. Most GROUP POLICIES, those provided by qualifying larger business groups, provide for an exception to this, but even this exception has further exceptions.

    The business of healthcare in America is to sell the policy, collect the premium, and then provide as little care as possible.

    Some think this is the best system in the world.

  8. Mr Diesel says:

    #7 bobbo

    Yep, that’s the case about prior conditions.

  9. Thermo says:

    Illegal aliens who come here by breaking our laws get free health care and those who put their lives on the line defending our laws and country have to pay for their own health care? Obama is a jerk!
    He wants nationalized health care where our government pays for everyone’s health care except for the one protecting our country.

  10. SparkyOne says:

    Wait one minute. Don’t these guys and gals have access to weapons? Do you think that our military is beyond fraging assholes?

    This will never fly.

  11. tcc3 says:

    Did any one actually read the article? No one is suggesting shutting down the VA in favor of private health insurance.

    It doesn’t mean the actual proposal is a good idea, but lets try not to be reactionary.

  12. tcc3 says:

    Sinn

    As opposed to our system where health care bankrupts you, especially if you’re old or have cancer. Its best to never get sick under our system too.

  13. Jim says:

    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.

  14. Mr. Fusion says:

    #5, Mr. Diesel,

    The head of the American Legion was at the White House when the administration announced it in the last few days.

    I missed the announcement. Could you provide a link to when and where the WH made said “announcement”.

  15. Paddy-O says:

    I read about the other day from the Head of the Am Leg.
    I laughed SO hard. Obama is an idiot.

  16. Winston says:

    READ CLOSELY! Their private insurance will only be required to pay if they _have_ private insurance. What this is targeted at is the gazillion retired military working as civilians in typically very high paying military industrial complex jobs that include medical coverage. I know a large number of them. The private insurance would simply be required to pay for medical treatments before the taxpayer. Sounds OK to me!

  17. Winston says:

    And, BTW, this is yet another example of how easy it is for corporate interests to manipulate a typically uniformed public. “But this hurts our disabled vets!” NO, it does NOT. It leaves more medical funds where they belong, with the people who need them most.

  18. Mr. Fusion says:

    #18 & 19, Winston,

    sshhh, your destroying the right wing nut fantasy.

  19. MikeR says:

    Simple solution:
    1. Force AIG to start a health insurance busines.
    2. AIG then provides health insurance coverage to all veterans at no cost.

  20. dumbassliberals says:

    More “change” we can believe in.

  21. bobbo says:

    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.”

  22. Mr Diesel says:

    #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.

  23. Angel H. Wong says:

    “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.

  24. Paddy-O says:

    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.”

  25. Mr. Fusion says:

    #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.

  26. brm says:

    #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.

  27. MikeN says:

    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’

  28. Mr Diesel says:

    #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.

  29. MikeN says:

    There’s also a trial balloon of taxing workers’ health care benefits. You know, the same thing for which he ran ads attacking McCain.

  30. Mr Diesel says:

    Yeeh but I’m not calling anyone out on it…..


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