Obama admin thinking about making vets pay for

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: waggy
it won't pass. NOBODY will do that. its political suicide.

You'd think that sending 150K+ troops for war over absolutely nothing would be political suicide but nuh-uh.

People are fucking stupid.

 

[Hacp]

I actually agree with Obama on this one. His next steps should be a repeal of the 2nd amendment and a 25% tax hike. Heck, 28th amendment: Obama is now king.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: Hacp
I actually agree with Obama on this one. His next steps should be a repeal of the 2nd amendment and a 25% tax hike. Heck, 28th amendment: Obama is now king.

To be quickly followed by the US Military layin' the smack down . . .

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Genx87
I have heard of cutting costs but this is a real slap in the face.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...h.insurance/index.html

Luckily it appears it wont make it out of congress. But the whole idea they are even considering it is ridiculous.

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.

I think this proposal needs to more fully explained before eveyone runs off to assumptions.

How are the vets gonna get this 'private insurance'? Will the federal gov pay for it for them?

If so, does this free the vets from traveling to VA hospitals so they can get treatment any where (more convenient)?

How could a vet get HI with a previously existing condition? I understand others (non-military) generally can't, or at least not without paying an exhorbitant amount.

I'm a little doubtful this is some proposal to the effect that "well, you're on own now - run off and get your own HI to cover your service related injuries". Could be, but if so that's ludicrous and I'm shocked that someone would have the bad judgement to even suggest it.

Fern

Actually, congress would love to kill off the VA system, it's expensive & relatively inefficient, the vet groups would raise hell with the politicians if they did what they ought to do, and that's to provide them with an insurance plan that covered service connected disabilities that paid as Medicare does, and do away with the VA hospital system completely.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Genx87
I have heard of cutting costs but this is a real slap in the face.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...h.insurance/index.html

Luckily it appears it wont make it out of congress. But the whole idea they are even considering it is ridiculous.

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.

I think this proposal needs to more fully explained before eveyone runs off to assumptions.

How are the vets gonna get this 'private insurance'? Will the federal gov pay for it for them?

If so, does this free the vets from traveling to VA hospitals so they can get treatment any where (more convenient)?

How could a vet get HI with a previously existing condition? I understand others (non-military) generally can't, or at least not without paying an exhorbitant amount.

I'm a little doubtful this is some proposal to the effect that "well, you're on own now - run off and get your own HI to cover your service related injuries". Could be, but if so that's ludicrous and I'm shocked that someone would have the bad judgement to even suggest it.

Fern

Actually, congress would love to kill off the VA system, it's expensive & relatively inefficient, the vet groups would raise hell with the politicians if they did what they ought to do, and that's to provide them with an insurance plan that covered service connected disabilities that paid as Medicare does, and do away with the VA hospital system completely.

I can't comment much on this because i don't know how it works in the US, if i get injured, i get full payment plus about 3x that for three years, right now my salary is £6000 a month.

All health and everything is paid for like for anyone else, priority goes by injury when you get home.

 

[mooseracing]

Update from Yahoo's news...

"It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."

Link


Vets insurance rates would be untouchable if they had to pay through private companies, seems how they would be coming in with pre-existing conditions, not to mention the background they were in.

Simply stupid as hell for anyone to consider this.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: mooseracing
Update from Yahoo's news...

"It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."

Link


Vets insurance rates would be untouchable if they had to pay through private companies, seems how they would be coming in with pre-existing conditions, not to mention the background they were in.

Simply stupid as hell for anyone to consider this.

Not really related, but that link resembles a yahoo news story, but appears to be a PR piece authored by the American Legion and posted via PR Wire. Going to the PR website it looks like press releases from various organizations mimicked up to look like an independently authored news story. Is that what it is?

 

[SP33Demon]

Why are vets so up in arms over getting their benefits covered by privatized vs the government? If you're against universal healthcare and more government then this should be a welcome development. As long as you're guaranteed to be covered for all injuries, who gives a flying fck if it comes out of the government teet or privatized healthcare? Just make it so that vets can't be denied/price gouged for pre-existing conditions AFTER their duty (and become a civilian again). It's 10X more efficient than the current system.

 

[fornax]

So, you advocate socialist health care for the veterans, but shitty private health care for the rest of us? Go to North Korea with your communist views, comrade.

Originally posted by: palehorse
Would doing so make even the mere proposal of this idea any less of a dick-move? I don't think so...

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: kage69
It won't happen.

Well, I'm glad to see conservatives have finally joined the rest of us in being outraged by any proposals, or even discussions about proposal aimed at doing anything except increasing veterans health benefits. Especially after the silence these past 8 years, when Veterans suffered at the hands of the Fed Gov. Glad you've all turned around on this one.

My first thoughts as well seeing the feedback.

So glad some of my more conservative countrymen are emerging from their long mental and moral slumber. Wow, we should elect non Repub presidents more often!

:roll: Not only did Bush increase VA funding(despite the lame attempts from the left to claim he didn't) - Conservatives weren't advocating decreasing VA funding or benefits. So try again junior.

 

[OutHouse]

Do Obama wants combat wounded vets to buy their own medical insurance. WTF! we can bail out AIG, GM, Banks, but he throws the men and women he sends into combat into the sewer? this pisses me off to no end. :|



http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/2...d_heroes_for_treatment


WASHINGTON, March 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases.

"It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."

The Commander, clearly angered as he emerged from the session said, "This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate ' to care for him who shall have borne the battle' given that the United States government sent members of the armed forces into harm's way, and not private insurance companies. I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need of America's veterans!"

 

[Brainonska511]

Repost/already being discussed: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2284817&enterthread=y

 

[CADsortaGUY]

repost?

 

[OutHouse]

well damn

 

[ericlp]

Good... let em pay like the rest of us. Can I go to Disneyland too and get free handouts?

I say (being a vet myself) let's get the whole world on free medical first.

 

[heyheybooboo]

I still think this is much ado about nothing. From another article ...

"" Lawmakers and veterans advocates said VA could save $500 million by simply collecting from private insurers all that it is authorized to bill for non-service injuries each year. ""

 

[XMan]

How crazy is this idea? Jon Stewart bashed the Obama admin over it!

 

[b0mbrman]

http://www.boston.com/news/pol...3/obama_drops_vet.html

Statement from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on the President?s Strong Commitment to America?s Veterans:

The President has consistently stated that he is committed to working with veterans on the details of the 2010 VA Budget Proposal. The President demonstrated his deep commitment to veterans by proposing the largest increase in the VA budget in 30 years and calling VSO and MSO leaders into the White House for an unprecedented meeting to discuss various aspects of the budget proposal. In considering the third party billing issue, the administration was seeking to maximize the resources available for veterans; however, the President listened to concerns raised by the VSOs that this might, under certain circumstances, affect veterans and their families? ability to access health care. Therefore, the President has instructed that its consideration be dropped. The President wants to continue a constructive partnership with the VSOs and MSOs and is grateful to those VSOs and MSOs who have worked in good faith with him on the budget proposal.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: XMan
How crazy is this idea? Jon Stewart bashed the Obama admin over it!

In order to stay relevant, Jon Stewart is going to have to be able to bash Obama. The Bush-bashing is as stale as it is going to get, and Stewart is best when he is the opposition.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31

Originally posted by: XMan
How crazy is this idea? Jon Stewart bashed the Obama admin over it!

In order to stay relevant, Jon Stewart is going to have to be able to bash Obama. The Bush-bashing is as stale as it is going to get, and Stewart is best when he is the opposition.

Didn't he get his start by bashing Clinton?

 

[Jiggz]

I agree with BHO on this one as long as he makes sure he also privatize the military. And then we'll see who's going to be the next Prez!

 

[sciwizam]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31

Originally posted by: XMan
How crazy is this idea? Jon Stewart bashed the Obama admin over it!

In order to stay relevant, Jon Stewart is going to have to be able to bash Obama. The Bush-bashing is as stale as it is going to get, and Stewart is best when he is the opposition.

He sucked tonight. With AIG-Dodd-Treasury business going on and all he could comment on was Dick Cheney's interview that happened this past Sunday?

 

[EXman]

Originally posted by: tweaker2
Yep, pick one very small detail out of the whole plan, sensationalize it, generalize it, stereotype it, spin it and hype it over and over and over again, and there you go, the whole republican strategy for regaining power to keep us exactly where we are right now, which is exactly where Bush and his faithful ideological disciples got us after eight increasingly disasterous years in office.

If you are not repulsed by the thought that this was even considered by the white house you are less of an American to me. Seriously i'd like to kick the pansey in the nuts who even thought about this and Obama squarely in the ass for not realizing the vets are already covered buy socialized healthcare. i.e. what he's got the hard on for the rest of us.

Seriously this is an issue he would lose his ass on. Not to mention it is just a sinister plot.

 

[kage69]

Not only did Bush increase VA funding(despite the lame attempts from the left to claim he didn't) - Conservatives weren't advocating decreasing VA funding or benefits. So try again junior.

I know his funding rate was faster than Clinton's per year, but I still have this fuzzy recollection of Bush cutting the VA budget by a billion here, denying vets legal rights to mental health there, sending Cheney to Arlington for Veteran's Day while he stayed at his ranch, expending American lives and money in elective wars, things like that... I was echoing a sentiment really.

But I forgot, Bush isn't a true conservative so the 1 billion decrease in 05 (or 06?) for the VA doesn't count?


Whatever. The bottom line is whoever is in office should be completely looking after those who return from getting shot at in the line of duty. I only want to see funding for vets go up, period.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: EXman

Originally posted by: tweaker2
Yep, pick one very small detail out of the whole plan, sensationalize it, generalize it, stereotype it, spin it and hype it over and over and over again, and there you go, the whole republican strategy for regaining power to keep us exactly where we are right now, which is exactly where Bush and his faithful ideological disciples got us after eight increasingly disasterous years in office.

If you are not repulsed by the thought that this was even considered by the white house you are less of an American to me. Seriously i'd like to kick the pansey in the nuts who even thought about this and Obama squarely in the ass for not realizing the vets are already covered buy socialized healthcare. i.e. what he's got the hard on for the rest of us.

Seriously this is an issue he would lose his ass on. Not to mention it is just a sinister plot.

The best you can do is rant and froth about something he's *against*? Pathetic.