[CRoss]

Even for considering this he has lost any respect from me. Asking a Vetran's private insurance to pay for injuries suffered while serving our country is complete bulls**t. The least we can do for someone that has served our country is take care of them for any medical conditions as a result of the service.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/17/AR2009031702537.html?hpid=topnews

 

[stevew]

Even for considering this he has lost any respect from me.....

as long as he knows the germans adore him....he can live without your respect...

they probably sent him a freezer full of the things...

 

[Cant Climb]

Either Obama made a mistake or we are not getting all the details. Shady private insurers will try to push cost whenever or wherever possible.....maybe this is a policy to tighten some loopholes. Tough to say without more details...

Do you have anymore info besides a news story.....?.....

 

[CRoss]

This is all I have seen.



mmm...Obama Fingers, think KFC will have them soon?

 

[CRoss]

WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2009) – 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!”

Commander Rehbein was among a group of senior officials from veterans service organizations joining the President, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and Steven Kosiak, the overseer of defense spending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The group’s early afternoon conversation at The White House was precipitated by a letter of protest presented to the President earlier this month. The letter, co-signed by Commander Rehbein and the heads of ten colleague organizations, 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.”

Commander Rehbein reiterated points made last week in testimony to both House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees. It was stated then that The American Legion believes that the reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate that VA treat service-connected injuries and disabilities given that the United States government sends members of the armed forces into harm’s way, and not private insurance companies. The proposed requirement for these companies to reimburse the VA would not only be unfair, says the Legion, but would have an adverse impact on service-connected disabled veterans and their families. The Legion argues that, depending on the severity of the medical conditions involved, maximum insurance coverage limits could be reached through treatment of the veteran’s condition alone. That would leave the rest of the family without health care benefits. The Legion also points out that many health insurance companies require deductibles to be paid before any benefits are covered. Additionally, the Legion is concerned that private insurance premiums would be elevated to cover service-connected disabled veterans and their families, especially if the veterans are self-employed or employed in small businesses unable to negotiate more favorable across-the-board insurance policy pricing. The American Legion also believes that some employers, especially small businesses, would be reluctant to hire veterans with service-connected disabilities due to the negative impact their employment might have on obtaining and financing company health care benefits.

“I got the distinct impression that the only hope of this plan not being enacted,” said Commander Rehbein, “is for an alternative plan to be developed that would generate the desired $540-million in revenue. The American Legion has long advocated for Medicare reimbursement to VA for the treatment of veterans. This, we believe, would more easily meet the President’s financial goal. We will present that idea in an anticipated conference call with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel in the near future.

“I only hope the administration will really listen to us then. This matter has far more serious ramifications than the President is imagining,” concluded the Commander.

 

[JohnE]

This recently began again in the Bush administration, the idea has been kicking about for some time now. If the vet can get private insurance carriers to pay and get better treatment on the "open market" rather than get tangled in the VA bureacracy, so much the better. The end result needs to be the same, get a vet treated.
Some of the vet boards are all lit up over this...blaming Obama for the mess he inherited.
I am starting to catalog all my little aches and pains towards the day I retire. This hangnail I have now should get me 30%...

 

[Cant Climb]

WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2009) – Commander Rehbein side of the story.

Only half of the debate....

 

[Silver]

I'm all for it. The sooner we dump the vets onto the same abortion of a healthcare system the rest of us have to deal with, the sooner things will change.

Veterans are much like seniors or union auto workers in that way: **** your healthcare, I've got mine at the VA or Medicare or in our labor agreement.

Well, **** you too, if you get ours...welcome to hell.

 

[sanjuro]

I've heard lots of rumblings, but no official announcement. I bet it will be pulled off the table.

 

[JohnE]

I'm all for it. The sooner we dump the vets onto the same abortion of a healthcare system the rest of us have to deal with, the sooner things will change.

Veterans are much like seniors or union auto workers in that way: **** your healthcare, I've got mine at the VA or Medicare or in our labor agreement.

Well, **** you too, if you get ours...welcome to hell.

The great difference is that these guys were hurt while assuring your continued right to be a douchenozzle...the auto workers, not so much...

 

[Silver]

The great difference is that these guys were hurt while assuring your continued right to be a douchenozzle...the auto workers, not so much...

You're aware that the United States of America isn't Sparta, I assume?

edit: It's a false premise anyways, unless we are talking about WW2 vets only...the Vietnamese and Iraqis and Panamanians and Grenadans and Afghanis and Koreans have never been a threat to the first amendment, not nearly as much as American politicians and generals have.

 

[ohio]

It seems like it's being spun as a "push the burden onto the veterans" when in reality it's a "push the burden onto private insurers when available." So the veterans get care either way. Theoretically it's opaque, although we all know in reality that the veterans will suffer with claims the way the rest of us do.

What I'm concerned about is if the private insurers took these folks on at discounted rates, assuming that combat-related issues would be covered by the government, and their premiums should really be much higher.

 

[1453]

I remember the flak Bush got when he proposed a similar plan to this.

The reaction I see here this time around is very telling.

 

[Defenestrated]

Privatization! Fvck yeah!?

 

[$tinkle]

Obama dropping vets insurance proposal

finally {

thread.close();​

}

 

[sanjuro]

Called it.

 

[$tinkle]

Cross should be crippled wit r3sp3ct now

 

[CRoss]

Not really, I still do not like the guy.

 

[jimmydean]

Not really, I still do not like the guy.

So you had no respect to lose, then.

 

[ohio]

So you had no respect to lose, then.

Yes, but what little amount he didn't have and was looking for a reason to lose he lost even though he didn't have it to begin with.

In related news, I'm going to cheer even less than before for the Patriots, whom I have never liked.

 

[Defenestrated]

So you had no respect to lose, then.

oster_oops:

 

[CRoss]

He did have respect to gain.

 

[jimmydean]

He did have respect to gain.

And by not doing what you expected him to do, he is right where he was.