Slap in the Face of the American Hero
According to CNN, the Obama White House is mulling over the decision as to whether to force wounded combat veterans to pay for treatment for combat-related injuries with private health insurance. From the CNN piece:
What drives me absolutely insane is that the very same administration pushing health care coverage for everyone is, at the same time, apparently considering forcing men and women injured in battle to procure private insurance. That means that illegal immigrants--people who have no legal right to even be on American soil--could receive free health coverage while our endlessly brave fighting men and women would not.
For those who came here under cover of darkness, it's si, se puede. For those who spilled blood for America and for all of us, it's thanks, but no thanks.
Something is very, very wrong here.
According to CNN, the Obama White House is mulling over the decision as to whether to force wounded combat veterans to pay for treatment for combat-related injuries with private health insurance. From the CNN piece:
No official proposal to create such a program has been announced publicly, but veterans groups wrote a pre-emptive letter last week to President Obama voicing their opposition to the idea after hearing the plan was under consideration.
The groups also cited an increase in "third-party collections" estimated in the 2010 budget proposal -- something they said could be achieved only if the Veterans Administration started billing for service-related injuries.
Asked about the proposal, Shinseki said it was under "consideration."
"A final decision hasn't been made yet," he said.
Currently, veterans' private insurance is charged only when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries, like getting the flu.
Charging for service-related injuries would violate "a sacred trust," Veterans of Foreign Wars spokesman Joe Davis said. Davis said the move would risk private health care for veterans and their families by potentially maxing out benefits paying for costly war injury treatments.
Now, I happen to agree with the Washington state Democrat, Patty Murray, cited in the article as saying that such a measure would not be warmly received on Capitol Hill. Backing this plan, at the very least, would be political suicide. Still, considering the attitude shown toward or troops by this White House and by other congressional Democrats, it should be at the very least interesting to watch.The groups also cited an increase in "third-party collections" estimated in the 2010 budget proposal -- something they said could be achieved only if the Veterans Administration started billing for service-related injuries.
Asked about the proposal, Shinseki said it was under "consideration."
"A final decision hasn't been made yet," he said.
Currently, veterans' private insurance is charged only when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries, like getting the flu.
Charging for service-related injuries would violate "a sacred trust," Veterans of Foreign Wars spokesman Joe Davis said. Davis said the move would risk private health care for veterans and their families by potentially maxing out benefits paying for costly war injury treatments.
What drives me absolutely insane is that the very same administration pushing health care coverage for everyone is, at the same time, apparently considering forcing men and women injured in battle to procure private insurance. That means that illegal immigrants--people who have no legal right to even be on American soil--could receive free health coverage while our endlessly brave fighting men and women would not.
For those who came here under cover of darkness, it's si, se puede. For those who spilled blood for America and for all of us, it's thanks, but no thanks.
Something is very, very wrong here.