Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com The Barnyard: Obama Wants Vets Private Insurance To Pay For Their Medical Care

Monday, March 16, 2009

Obama Wants Vets Private Insurance To Pay For Their Medical Care

This just the latest outrage by the Obama administration, they want active and veteran miltary's private insurance to pay for duty related medical costs that have normally gone through the VA as it should. In other words if you want to serve your country you will have to have private insurance to cover any injuries you may receive while protecting America since Obama doesn't think you're worth be taken care of by the government but illegal aliens and octomoms are. This is outrageously stupid so much so that I really don't have words to express my disgust. Via Hot Air where Ed has more details.

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.”

The only relief I can take for this is that I doubt it has chance in hell of getting through Congress as there are plenty of Vets on the Dem side of the aisle as well that wouldn't go for this. This a way beyond stupid move by Obama and goes way past the line of being an un-American proposal. We owe our vets the very best care we have to offer and if there is any tab the government is obligated beyond a shadow of doubt to pick up its that one.

I can't wait to see Mike Yon weigh in on this since he is a vet and now a private war correspondent that has to pay for insurance before he can embed in war zones and if I remember correctly it is very expensive perhaps even his highest outlay. It is more than the average serviceman makes a month.

4 comments:

Trader Rick said...

This is a new low, even for the messiah. Can it be that he is really this vile? Can the Federal Government mandate what Insurance Companies insure?

Another aspect of this is that everyone's health costs will go up. This is another way of taxing the middle class, and those who employ us.

I know the words I would use, but not here...

Fuzzy Slippers said...

This is just wrong: immoral, disrespectful, and an outrage. Our soldiers put their lives on the line for this country, they work for the federal government, yet they are expected to have private insurance?

How, then, does Obama justify his argument that every American should have the same insurance afforded members of Congress? http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/

Everyone in the country, apparently, except the men and women who fight for these very rights!

Anonymous said...

Don't be so sure this can't pass. I mean who would've thought the majority of voters would vote for a talking chimp? It happened.

It's a sick proposal & will jeopardize disabled and wounded servicemembers ability to get care. Private insurers won't pay for the unique care and treatment government owes these veterans.

But it can still happen. We're just one glitzy choreographed speech sermon press conference PR blitz extravaganza from having anything Obama wants. Is it too early to impeach him or at least take away his teleprompter?

Tom the Redhunter said...

I don't think this will pass either, as more sane Democrats will stop it.

But politically the damage is done. This can and should be used against Obama for years regardless of what happens.

What grates is that Obama does this after years of Democrat attacks on Bush for allegedly not caring about the troops.