Mr. Obama ready to charge wounded vets for their care

Were you guys just as outraged when Bush cut veterans' care?

irregulartimes.com...

How about when he cut off care almost completely for veterans' dependents (like my mother, who now has to pay for routine checkups)

Originally posted by gimme_some_truth

if any of you want to go pay for all their healthcare be my guest. It must be nice to have all that extra money lying around to do something so generous as paying the whole worlds medical bill.

Hey while you are at it. Send some money my way, I would love to get my feet fixed. I have screwed up tendons in my feet that over time are damaging the muscle and bones and it is going to require surgery to fix. Which one of you wants to pay for it for me?

I hate wearing glasses how about you cough up some money for lasicks surgery.

No? You dont want to pay for my surgeries? why should they get special treatment then? Why is it ok for tax payer money to go to them and not to everyone else?

I pay my taxes I am an american citizen. I was born and raised here. I have a job. Why shouldnt everybody get that same treatment?

It seems pretty elitist to give better treatment to some than to others....

No one gains more rights just for joining the military so why should they have access to free healthcare when no one else does?

I say give it to EVERYONE or NO ONE.

To those of you are are no doubt assuming I voted for Obama.... I DIDNT!So get that out of your head. I didnt vote for McCain either.....I did vote though.

[edit on 16-3-2009 by gimme_some_truth]

So your an American. You pay your taxes. You wear glasses and have bad feet. What have you laid on the line for this great nation? How can you compare wanting lasik to a war veteran needing a prosthetic limb? If you want those benefits EARN THEM by signing up at your local recruiter and going to fight.

Those veterans deserve MORE than we could possible ever give them, to take care of their war related injuries should be a given - but no not in today's "me first" mentality.

I'm going to repeat the comment on the other 'Obama is going to make the vets pay' thread here on ATS. I have just a bit of skepticism on this whole thing. There have been numerous proposals attributed to Obama that are nowhere close to what the real proposal turns out to be. If this proposal actually is what the OP and others on the thread have said I'm surprised to the point of shock that the Republicans aren't all over the media about it. I mean, this is paydirt for Obama detractors. The proverbial motherlode. They could paint him anti-American, un-Patriotic the whole ball-of-wax with this. But they aren't. I have to wonder why? They've certainly tried with everything else that has come out of the White House.

I don't know how they convinced people otherwise but privatized insurance is a joke.

We have for-profit business saying that they are going to take care of us in times of need. We pay a portion of our income every month in case something happens to us and we cannot afford to pay a medical bill in which case it will be payed for us. Need I remind you that this is a for-profit business.

Their simple propose of existence is to collect more money from us than they pay out. We trust these people with our lives.

How exactly have we been convinced that this is the best way of doing things.

[edit on 17-3-2009 by Styki]

Why is it the better way of doing something? Because it leaves the choice up to the individual or the company that gets the services. Of course they are for profit and expecting to make vs lose money. That is why premiums are so high.

Do you expect the government will have unlimited free funds for this? SOMEONE will have to pay for it and then, there will be regulations on your health care, who will be allowed to seek care, for what, and the time frames.

It takes 9 months to get a non emergency MRI in Canada. I got one for my son in 3 weeks. It was just a look see and not due to an emergency. *I* had the choice, with a doctor suggesting and ordering it to have it done. You think you will have that freedom if the government is running things?

I don't personally envy those on VA benefits, but, at least they do not have to pay money for injuries suffered on the job. To say that a vet needs to use private insurance, vs insurance that has always been provided to them is just wrong.

And it is in the news www.buffalonews.com... Just not mainstream TV news that I have seen

reply to post by nicholaswa


I am a Veteran dependant my husband retire back in 98 and yes I have humana tricare health care and so my husband as he do not uses Veterans hospitals, our fees are minimal and even the company that he works for right now, pays for the yearly fees, still the fees are pennies on the dollar compare to what most private insurances charge for.

I kind of like having the right to chose my own doctor and so does my husband.

This has been the case since the Reagan administration, and it was Bush 41 that started having veterans make co payments on their medications. the last 8 years have been terrible for veterans. I can already see a change in the attitudes of V.A.staff members and patient and believe me, the changes are for the better.... I have been a disabled veteran for 40 of my 59 years of age, and I can say without any doubt that this policy has been in effect since the 1980s.... The American Legion is a tool of the right wing ultra conservatives and has never represented any veterans that I know in winning a claim for benefits..... This guy doesn't speak for veterans and the story is bogus.

This seemed pretty enraging to me at first, but let's give him a chance and see what happens. It could just be part one of some bigger healthcare reform plan that will be better for everyone in the end. Who knows? Or yeah, maybe he's doing something really stupid..... but I'm not prepared to call him a failure or bad president for one little mistake (which may or may not be better for the veterans in the long run). He's already been trying to do a lot of great things. It's okay to be critical, but let's not jump to conclusions too soon. Though maybe some are just sore about the election....

And actually... isn't the government NOT paying for the care of many veterans anyway? Aren't they being neglected? I thought that's what I've been hearing. Maybe they would receive better care if the insurance companies would pay for it... since the government isn't paying anyway? I dunno if they would normally cover battle wounds or not. Apparently not? Maybe this would truly be much better for them? Unless they don't have insurance.... then there's a big problem. I bet it would be okay though. That would probably be when the government would pay.

I REALLY think this is all meant as an attack on the insurance companies.... NOT the veterans! Kinda like "if they're paying for insurance, then you'd better take care of them or else! They're not paying you for nothing!"

[edit on 17-3-2009 by GrayFox]

reply to post by RRconservative


I don't see what the big deal is. I thought health care in America is a "privilege?"

reply to post by hypervigilant

This has been the case since the Reagan administration, and it was Bush 41 that started having veterans make co payments on their medications. the last 8 years have been terrible for veterans.

I can already see a change in the attitudes of V.A. staff members and patient and believe me, the changes are for the better.... I have been a disabled veteran for 40 of my 59 years of age, and I can say without any doubt that this policy has been in effect since the 1980s. The American Legion is a tool of the right wing ultra conservatives and has never represented any veterans that I know in winning a claim for benefits. This guy doesn't speak for veterans and the story is bogus.

Absolutely! Thanks Mr H/V, for telling it like it really IS! I am a disabled American veteran. In 2000 when I went on Medicare, the VA was charging $2 per 30 day supply for medications that had before the Republican Revolution been FREE. During the 2 Bushes, the rate rose to $8 per 30 days supply. Now don’t jump in and BLAME Bill Clinton for this TRASHY way the Republicans treat vets. It was Speaker Newt Gingrich (and Sen. Frist) who gained control of Congress in 1994. Bill Clinton and the Dems barely had 2 year to work warders with the budget and get it in balance by 1999.

The American Legion is a RIGHT wing outfit. I do belong to the VFW and to the DAV. I am a lifetime member of both. VA does charge my visits - I’m an outpatient type - to both Medicare and to my Medicare supplement carrier. That is entirely appropriate.

But the meltdown at Walter Reed was REPUBLICANS pure and simple. The GOP does not give a dam about VETS until election time. You can take that to the bank.

Well, the plan is being scrapped, according to this article.

www.cnn.com...

So it's a moot point, but I still think it should have been given a fair shake.

It really sucks that vets have to carry private insurance, and pay their premiums, but the insurance companies don't have to lay out any money...