Bush move to TRIPLE veteran co-pay costs, rob $4.2 billion from HOT vets

[Dems Will Win]

Do you people here at DU agree with President Bush's policy here or maybe perhaps disagree? Please note they are rescinding a benefit veterans already had for the last 33 months. The money picked from the pockets of sick veterans would equal "$728 million in 2005, the Pentagon estimated, and nearly $4.2 billion by the end of 2009".

Veterans for Dean is going to grow mightily is my own opinion. Clearly Rove is distracted by his imminent CIA Leak problems and no one is running this campaign. This is after they tried to screw the vets 2 previous times with "a $1,200 deductible for care provided to most military retirees at Veterans Affairs hospitals and the Pentagon's long-running opposition to bills providing for "concurrent receipt" of military pension and VA disability payments". When Bush finally backed down on both to prevent a Repub Vet Revolt, he now stupidly tries this.

The veterans will never trust another word Bush says after this 3rd try at a royal screw.


GOP = Get Old People

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2331523

-snip-

Bush drug proposal enrages veterans
Plan may alienate military retirees by imposing higher fees for prescriptions

By DALE EISMAN
Copyright 2004 The Virginian-Pilot

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is considering dramatic increases in the fees military retirees pay for prescription drugs, a step that would roll back a benefit extended 33 months ago and risk alienating an important Republican constituency at the dawn of the 2004 campaign season.

Pentagon budget documents indicate that retirees may be asked to pay $10 -- up from $3 -- for each 90-day generic prescription filled by mail through Tricare, the military's health insurance program. Tricare's current $9 co-pay for a three-month supply of each brand-name drug would jump to $20.

The proposal also would impose charges for drugs the retirees now receive free at military hospitals and clinics. There would be a $10 fee for each generic prescription and a $20 charge for brand-name drugs dispensed at those facilities.

A Pentagon spokesman declined Wednesday to comment on the drug plan, calling it "pre-decisional." But word of the proposal was being spread at the speed of light by veterans service organizations, who were urging their thousands of members to send calls and letters of protest to the White House and members of Congress.

-snip-

We have a new word! "Pre-decisional"! Bushspeak is spreading through the whole government.

[Faygo Kid]

1. Payoff to the insurance industry - to hell with the vets

More proof of our president's "support of the troops." What a joke. Vets are just cannon fodder and easily manipulated voters to him. Nice issue for the Dems; they won't use it (hey, Daschle, wake up!). Nor will the media give it the attention it deserves. Yeah, "pre-decisional." Another Bushism.

[mopinko]

8. a pinkobutton

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Bush will find himself with the vets marching on DC

if he ain't too careful

Also I wonder if Meyers will have the stomach to order the troops to fix bayonets and charge... as McCarthur did

[oneighty]

3. Quoting MacArthur

"Blank cartridges should never be used against a mob, nor should a volley be fired over their heads" There is more.

[Narraback]

4. He should know...

I believe that he rode down the "Bonus Marchers" in DC during the depression.

[oneighty]

5. Yes he did

And I think Ike was somewhere in that adventure. Douglas wrote that statement in a "Basic field Manuel" for domestic disturbances.. also an edition for the national guard. We are not safe from our own army.

180

[leftbend]

6. Bush seems to hate veterans

Maybe because he is not really a veteran himself, but a AWOL Chicken hawk. If veterans vote for Bush they are participating in their own murder. Shrub loves the soldiers while their are helping secure the oil for him but after they are injured they are are useless to him and he must think they are politically powerless. I think the veterans are waking up finally and will turn on the lying repubs and the BFEE.
Peace anyway

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Bu$h hates military folks, serving and out alike

No question about it.

Probably has to do with his guilt over being AWOL.

[Faygo Kid]

9. He feels no guilt - he holds vets in contempt

Never, about anything, at any time does Bush feel guilt, remorse or similar emotions (remember his death penalty decisions as gov?) He simply does not understand how someone can be "stupid" enough to serve in the military when they could be making money and garnering power (like VP Cheney, who had "better things to do" than serve in Vietnam). Like the poor, he neither understands them (except as cartoon military figures) nor respects them. They are not people; they are vehicles to be used for the greater glory of the Bushes and the consolidation of their power. And as props in his cynical, lying re-election campaign.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. true, guilt is the wrong word

Perhaps what I mean is that vets and service people remind him of his failure to serve with distinction as they do.

Definitely not guilt. Because one would expect him to give better compensations for his lack of decent service, not less.

[Spiderm0n]

11. Until we get a handle on drug costs everyone is going to have to pay more

[Faygo Kid]

12. Hmmm, OK for Bush to cut vet benefits, then, eh? Please explain

Unusual comment on thread about Bush cutting vet benefits. Perhaps you can muster up all the knowledge reflected in your four posts and explain first, what you mean, and second, what you are doing here.

[Spiderm0n]

14. bumping co-pay from $3 to $10

doesn't seem that crazy to me. Hell, I wish I had health insurance. :shrug:

[Skittles]

15. you could have had insurance

along with millions of other Americans, for the cost of Bush Inc's tax cuts to the wealthy

[beanball]

18. A handle on drug costs

I've got the handle,the drug companies put $$$ into the Bush reselection fund and the cost of drug go up ,up and away,wake up we are being had by a bunch of crooks.

[PsN2Wind]

13. Most retired civilians

would kill for the benefit that the Vets are going to have after the change but that does little to excuse the hypocrisy of this bunch of Chicken-hawks.

[beanball]

19. Retired civilians

didn't put their lives on the line in combat.

[PsN2Wind]

22. Speaking from my experience

in two different branches of the military, I can say, neither did MOST retired military.

[JasonDeter]

16. Who is the first D candidate to speak out and make it a national issue?

Now would be a perfect time, while the iron is hot!!

[davsand]

17. Now the Seniors can't point to the great Vets' drug benefits.

They couldn't bring themselves to allow the medicare folks the right to bargain for prescriptions like the VA did--that would have cut too much from the Pharamcutical companies' profits. So instead, they raise what Vets pay for their drugs...

Greedy F*&^ing ba$tards.

Laura

[DUreader]

20. Lets make sure Symbolman gets this

I'mm PM him, but anyone with more direct contact should pass this on

[Dems Will Win]

21. kick

[cthrumatrix]

23. typical media "not educating" the people