Lack of health care killed 2,266 US veterans last year: study

rawstory.com...

The number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year, according to a new study.

The analysis produced by two Harvard medical researchers estimates that 2,266 US military veterans under the age of 65 died in 2008 because they lacked health coverage and had reduced access to medical care.

That figure is more than 14 times higher than the 155 US troop deaths in Afghanistan in 2008, the study says.

Released as the United States commemorates fallen soldiers on Veterans Day, the study warns that even health care provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) leaves many veterans without coverage.

The analysis uses census data to isolate the number of US veterans who lack both private health coverage and care offered by the VA.

Ironic that we have a veterans day but don't care enough about them to provide adequate health care, profit for the stockholders and CEOs of the Insurance co.s
is more important. The system is broken when vets die because of lack of health coverage.

Guess that goes to show what kind of shape the VA Hopsital system is in. Can't wait until the Feds run my healthcare.

-E-

[edit on 11-11-2009 by MysterE]

And we want the same people running a healthcare system for the rest of us?

What a joke.

reply to post by whaaa


LMAO, do you realize they are eligible for government run VA treatment. So your example is more of a reason why government shouldnt run healthcare and has nothing to do with insurance companies who would have no involvement in this process. But thanks for helping us make the case against government involvement in HCor a single payer system.

Your title should be changed to "Government run health care killed 2,266 US veterans last year: study"

[edit on 11-11-2009 by HotSauce]

reply to post by HotSauce


Just to try to clarify here. The va is a social medical program, not a single payer.

Socialized medicine is where all doctors work for the state.

Single payer is where all billing is done through the state.

Not all vets qualify for the va. The va is completely underfunded, we should be screaming about it's budget cuts.

Originally posted by Seiko
reply to post by HotSauce

 

Not all vets qualify for the va. .

Can you please expand on that statement?

The only vets I know that are not eligible for va care are ones that have been dishonorably discharged.





[edit on 11-11-2009 by lucentenigma]

reply to post by Seiko


Do you not even see the irony in your own statement. It is so fracking laughable it is idiotic.

The VA is their for veterans and the government is rationing their care and you come back with-we need to put more money into it?

WTF-any logical reasoning out their in ATS land? Any at all?

reply to post by Seiko


So what happens when they underfund the government run healthcare system? Then the deaths will skyrocket because more people will be affected.

reply to post by lucentenigma

Historically a health care system serving only veterans with service-connected disabilities, the VA is now open to all veterans and has become an important “safety net” for many low-income veterans who would otherwise be uninsured. However, 1.8 million U.S. veterans under age 65 continue to lack health insurance or access to care at Veterans Affairs hospitals as of 2004. This means that one in eight, or 12.7 percent of non-elderly veterans are uninsured, up from 9.9 percent in 2000. [4] About half of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans are classified in the lowest priority group (P8), and are not currently eligible for VA healthcare, while the rest may be eligible, but live too far from VA facilities to access services.

kaiser study

Will that be sufficient?

reply to post by Seiko


In the info you linked it says that one of the factors that lowers your eligibiity for care is income level. So a lot of those people are ineligible or get reduced care becaue they can already afford private insurance.

Eligibility for VA health care benefits depends solely on active military service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. Most of the nation’s 24 million veterans are eligible for some aspect of VA’s health care services if they choose to enroll. Enrolled veterans are assigned to one of eight priority levels (P1 through P8) based on their service-connected disabilities, income levels, and other factors. Under this priority system, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs decides each year whether VA’s medical budget is adequate to serve veterans in all priority groups who seek care.

[edit on 11-11-2009 by HotSauce]

[edit on 11-11-2009 by HotSauce]

Originally posted by Seiko
reply to post by lucentenigma

 

Historically a health care system serving only veterans with service-connected disabilities, the VA is now open to all veterans and has become an important “safety net” for many low-income veterans who would otherwise be uninsured. However, 1.8 million U.S. veterans under age 65 continue to lack health insurance or access to care at Veterans Affairs hospitals as of 2004. This means that one in eight, or 12.7 percent of non-elderly veterans are uninsured, up from 9.9 percent in 2000. [4] About half of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans are classified in the lowest priority group (P8), and are not currently eligible for VA healthcare, while the rest may be eligible, but live too far from VA facilities to access services.

kaiser study

Will that be sufficient?

Eligibility for VA health care benefits depends solely on active military service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. Most of the nation’s 24 million veterans are eligible for some aspect of VA’s health care services if they choose to enroll. Enrolled veterans are assigned to one of eight priority levels (P1 through P8) based on their service-connected disabilities, income levels, and other factors. Under this priority system, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs decides each year whether VA’s medical budget is adequate to serve veterans in all priority groups who seek care.

kaiser study

You can also call the above "rationing", exactly what will happen if the government runs health care for all of us.

Half of 1.8 million vets are classified as low-priority by our government.

They risk their lives and in return the get thrown in the garbage.

If a vet can be listed as low-priority what is going to happen to the masses?




[edit on 11-11-2009 by lucentenigma]

I have not seen any poster here with actual V.A experience so I'll
try to explain some aspects, especially when it comes to this fight
over the health care debate.

Depending on your disability rating you can get certain benefits. I
cannot recurve dental, but every veteran in the system gets preventive
care. How good that care is becomes dependnt on their doctor and
of course the hospital. I personally drive 200 miles one way to
Memphis when Nashville is only 45 miles away.

The VA cannot kick you out of the system even if they have no rooms
available. I had a heart attAck in August. I went to the local hospital
for emergency treatment. The fisrt 3 days in CCR cost 96000. Because
the closest VA had no rooms , VA will pay.

The system has it's problems but for the most part it is a fairly well run
enterprise. What alot of these people who think we who want the public
option are lazy bums with no job living off the system do not understand
is if us veterans were not saddled with a "pre existing" condition, we could
get other insurance, but then again those who cry and moan the loudest
about becoming socialized never served or sacrificed.

Low priority simply means they earn too much to be classified higher-



link

Where is the problem here? If their illnesses were related to their service, they would be in categories 1-3.

reply to post by HotSauce


My point was that not all vets qualified, when asked to expand I did. Not all vets qualify. Some by economic reasons, and others by locality. To my way of thinking they already paid by serving. When politicians who are millionaires get lifetime care and working vets do not, the system is failing.

My comment to you first was to clarify the difference between socialized and single payer. Neither one of those options are being discussed in this country or have anything to do with the current bill going to congress.

I seriously doubt the validity of Harvard study. All honorably discharged veterans will get health care. The problem I believe stems when a military member discharges from service they are not adequately instructed on the benefits they earned.

"All veterans are potentially eligible".

www4.va.gov...



[edit on 11-11-2009 by brilab45]

[edit on 11-11-2009 by brilab45]

reply to post by Seiko


Single payer and socialized are more or less the same thing in the long run. There are tons of quotes from Progressives in office all admitting they want a public option because they see that as the first step to their ultimate goal of single payer.

reply to post by Seiko


For example here is video of Barney Frank finally admitting the real truth behind the agenda.

reply to post by HotSauce


I don't want to derail this thread but they are two separate things. The va could be argued to be socialized medicine. Medicare would be single payer.

There are many failings in our health insurance and health care in this country. The public option will not fix this. The op here is just pointing out one of the many because today happens to be veteran's day. If veteran's are being left behind there is a problem.

reply to post by Seiko


I agree there is a problem when veterans get left behind. I just say it as one more failure of the government or one of its agencies to do what it is said it was going to do. That list is getting pretty long and shakes my faith that any form of government run healthcare will do anything but lower the quality of care and bankrupt the nation in the process.

reply to post by endisnighe


You're calling my desire to have our veteran's health care properly funded idiotic?

They found the money for the wars, they can find the money to support the veteran's now.

I can't help but think you're intentionally trolling here.


[edit on 11-11-2009 by Seiko]