Large Scale Central

President’s Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment

General Discussion
#1

The American Legion Strongly Opposed to President’s Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment

WASHINGTON, DC – 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.

© Copyright 2009 American Legion. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

William H. Sloan

Assistant Director

Internal Affairs and Membership

The American Legion

THE AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS

#2

Obama backs off.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-backs-off-plan-to-alter-vets-care-2009-03-18.html

With HIM as your president, who needs Osama Bin Laden?

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#3
Terry A de C Foley said:
Obama backs off.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-backs-off-plan-to-alter-vets-care-2009-03-18.html

With HIM as your president, who needs Osama Bin Laden?

tac
www.ovgrs.org


I’m sure HE mis-understood, or mis-spoke, or the Wascally Wepublicans told HIM to do it.

“Veterans groups were enraged over the proposal, charging that it would discourage employers from hiring disabled veterans by raising the premiums insurance companies would charge. They also argue that the plan could jeopardize health insurance for entire families.”

Don’t mess with the vets.

#4

From Terry’s link:
“On Wednesday morning 68 Democratic and GOP House members sent Obama a letter, initiated by freshman Rep. Glenn Nye (D-Va.), urging the administration to drop the proposal”

A bi-partisan effort. :slight_smile:
Ralph

#5

So let’s see–he proposed it, veterans groups protested, and he dropped it. What’s the problem? How does that make him like Bin Laden?

#6
mike omalley said:
So let's see--[b]he proposed it,[/b]
#7

Thank you, Mr Hill.

I’m a veteran and so is mrs tac. If MY goverment had a leader who proposed such a major change in the way that veterans injured on behalf of their goverment were treated, he would pretty soon find himself selling matches and rubber spiders in the street.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#8

To even suggest that we send someone into mortal combat to defend the nation and then expect them to provide insurance for their own medical treatment is not only outrageous, it’s downright ignorant! Perhaps we should charge them for their uniforms, food and weaponry too!

I’m glad to see that this won’t come to pass.

#9
Terry A de C Foley said:
Thank you, Mr Hill.

I’m a veteran and so is mrs tac. If MY goverment had a leader who proposed such a major change in the way that veterans injured on behalf of their goverment were treated, he would pretty soon find himself selling matches and rubber spiders in the street.

tac
www.ovgrs.org


Terry I humbly, and sincerely thank you and the Mrs. for your service. Veterans rights is a hot button with me, I do what I can.

#10

Did any of you actually look at the proposal?

It does not charge veterans, it sought to have the VA charge private insurance companies for costs they were already covering.

"Under the proposal, insurance providers would have been billed by the VA for the treatment of wounds and conditions sustained as a result of their military service. The VA now picks up those costs, and only bills insurance providers for medical treatment unrelated to a veteran’s military service. Veterans generally have a co-pay charge for treatment at a VA hospital.

Veterans groups were enraged over the proposal, charging that it would discourage employers from hiring disabled veterans by raising the premiums insurance companies would charge. They also argue that the plan could jeopardize health insurance for entire families."

Please note–I am neither in favor of this plan, I haven’t read many details of it, I don’t entirely understand what it proposes. I’m just pointing out that it does not appear to do what David’s original post said it does, or what several subsequent posts have said that it does.

#11

Mike, do you intentionally bury your head in the sand?

#12
mike omalley said:
Did any of you actually look at the proposal?

It does not charge veterans, it sought to have the VA charge private insurance companies for costs they were already covering.

"Under the proposal, insurance providers would have been billed by the VA for the treatment of wounds and conditions sustained as a result of their military service. The VA now picks up those costs, and only bills insurance providers for medical treatment unrelated to a veteran’s military service. Veterans generally have a co-pay charge for treatment at a VA hospital.

Veterans groups were enraged over the proposal, charging that it would discourage employers from hiring disabled veterans by raising the premiums insurance companies would charge. They also argue that the plan could jeopardize health insurance for entire families."

Please note–I am neither in favor of this plan, I haven’t read many details of it, I don’t entirely understand what it proposes. I’m just pointing out that it does not appear to do what David’s original post said it does, or what several subsequent posts have said that it does.


Mike,

Insurance companies already up rates for hazardous occupations as well as exclude certain pre-exisiting conditions. Is it not reasonable to assume that if they had to assume risk pertaining to combat that they wouldn’t increase rates for anyone serving in the military or during war for anyone potentially subject to the draft?

I had a friend that was a bartender. He couldn’t find affordable insurance because his occupation had a life expectancy of somewhere in the mid fifties. Consider that this is a civilian job that for the most part wouldn’t entail being shot at.

If the military was paying its soldiers several hundred thousand a year perhaps the plan wouldn’t be so bad. Congressmen get, what is it, $175,000 a year? I haven’t seen a proposal where any of their “socialized health care” would be reimbursed by private insurance that they’d have to provide themselves.

The very idea that a government would send young people into armed conflict and then not at the very least cover their medical treatment fully for combat injuries is ridiculous in the extreme.

#13

I’m not arguing that the VA should stop paying for health care–that’s not my position, nor would it be. That’s a bad idea. I’m trying to figure out what this idea was and what it was supposed to do.

As far as I can tell, the argument was something like this: Vets have private health insurance and pay premiums for it now. But the private insurers do not pay for costs associated with injuries sustained in service. The VA is not paying if, for example, you break your leg skiing while on vacation. I’m assuming this was a plan to shift some of the costs to private insurers who, it seems the administration wanted to claim were getting paid for services they were not delivering. Maybe.

I did some research: John Stewart was very funny about it how bad an idea this would be

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=220571&title=that-cant-be-right-veterans

So from all I can tell, it was a bad idea rightly withdrawn.

How does it actually work? I honestly don’t know. If you come back from Iraq with an injured leg, the VA pays for therapy and treatment–that seems absolutely right. Does the VA pay if, while you are getting treated for the leg, you get a strep infection not related to the leg injury? I’m assuming no–the vet needs to have private health insurance. Or does the VA pay ALL health care costs for vets for life? I assume it does not, but honestly I don’t know.

#14
mike omalley said:
Did any of you actually look at the proposal?

It does not charge veterans, it sought to have the VA charge private insurance companies for costs they were already covering.

"Under the proposal, insurance providers would have been billed by the VA for the treatment of wounds and conditions sustained as a result of their military service. The VA now picks up those costs, and only bills insurance providers for medical treatment unrelated to a veteran’s military service. Veterans generally have a co-pay charge for treatment at a VA hospital.

Veterans groups were enraged over the proposal, charging that it would discourage employers from hiring disabled veterans by raising the premiums insurance companies would charge. They also argue that the plan could jeopardize health insurance for entire families."

Please note–I am neither in favor of this plan, I haven’t read many details of it, I don’t entirely understand what it proposes. I’m just pointing out that it does not appear to do what David’s original post said it does, or what several subsequent posts have said that it does.


As a self-employed “freeman”, I would be required (as everyone should) to shop for and buy my own health insurance.

Any combat-related injuries would be deemed pre-existing conditions and I could be denied coverage for that injury under insurance company conditions.

The fact that this was even considered, is nothing less than a slap in the face on all our military that Obama now assumes to command. Of ALL the social-re-engineering stuff from this administration, this in my opinion is the lowest. IMHO

#15

Ok, Obama is beneath your contempt, we all know that, but what about my questions? I actually don’t know the answer. If you do a three year hitch in the Army, working, say, in the motor pool at fort benning, do you then get VA health insurance for life? Or is it only if you are injured in service?

#16
mike omalley said:
Ok, Obama is beneath your contempt, we all know that, but what about my questions? I actually don't know the answer. If you do a three year hitch in the Army, working, say, in the motor pool at fort benning, do you then get VA health insurance for life? Or is it only if you are injured in service?
The VA has nine different "Priority" levels for the care of veterans. An amputee from a combat related incident, is a Priority Level One, whereas the motor pool NCO may be a Priority Level Seven (?) with "service connected" hearing loss. Former POWs are a high level priority as are veterans diagnosed with combat related PTSD, defoliant and chemical warfare exposures with the presumptive health effects.
#17

Mike,

I can’t answer all your questions about priority of coverage in VA Hospitals. I know that a veteran, not a military retiree, can get knee replacement surgery at a VA Hospital, but he is low priority and is on a long waiting list. My son’s Father-in-law had it done. It is a good example of how poor a form of a public health system works.

I’m sure there are people here that can answer your questions better. I don’t think Veterans get the same coverage as members of Congress, but then again most Veterans don’t get to write their own insurance plans, perks, pension plans and pay increases.

#18

P.S. I tell folks about the VA medical care’s shortcomings as an example of government funded and run health care system. If the USA goes the way of other nations with a takeover of all private healthcare, they can expect the same or worst service that veterans now have to endure.

#19

I’m still confused–check me if I’m wrong.

As I understand it, ALL military veterans are entitled to VA health care at no cost, except for a small per-visit copay, for life. Is that correct?

Within that entitlement, the VA prioritizes, ranking those with war-related injuries or conditions first. Is that right?

#20

Actually, when I went to basic training, back in 1969, I was charged for the initial issue of uniforms, along with all the other personnel… My pay in basic training had the uniform issue costs deducted from it…

Additional uniforms requirements that were required to perform a specific job, were supplied by the unit I was assigned to…

Not sure if it’s changed, or not, but, I will find out in about 7 weeks, when my kid gets out of basic training…