Hey Taxpayers War is NOT free - Stick Up for The Vets

[Merrill]

Bush budget cuts veterans health care in 2009
February 13, 2007

• Bush budget assumes cuts in veterans' health care in 2009, 2010
• VA medical care costs have risen yearly for 20 years
• Number of veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan expected to increase 26 percent

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/13/vets.budget.ap/index.html


Quality of care for disbled veterans should not depend on which party is holding the reins. VA care as it stands is victim to politics which simply is not fair. Treatment for Agent Orange and Depleted Uranium Weapons exposure should not be determined by the VA secretary under any administration. Care should be rendered immediately instead of Vets finding it necessary to battle for a determination from any current administration.

Veterans should receive the exact same care provided to those who send them off to battle and paid for by the taxpayers. Issue every diasabled veteran a medicare/medicaid/dental card that covers the entire familiy. Treat these veterans with respect as they did not ask to be sent into a dangerous battle zone. Never alter the funding mechanism as all who carry this medicare card somehow paid for this care.

Suggestions:
*Convert all VA Medical Facilities to VA/Medicare facilities to accept all medicare patients.
* would reduce pharmaceutical expenditures
* keep facilities staffed as a normal hospital/walk in medical care facility
* appointments of course would be best
* do not allow any staff member to work more than 10 hours
* re-open all shut down VA medical centers and make wise use of existing resources.
* could reduce the risks of medicare fraud which is huge.
* DisabledVeterans and senior citizens should never be denied excellent medical/dental care for which they have somehow paid for. They SHOULD NOT become puppets for political campaigns.


6 years of Bush making financial decisions for the country is absurd. The only thing this man thinks about is oil control in Iraq which is taking place and will continue to cost taxpayers billions. Bush does NOT give a damn about our soldiers or any other common everyday person rich or poor.

I feel sorry for the Iraq population who must endure the Bush war machine. I feel for the veterans who will have to beg,borow and steal for every disability
dollar they can get. The ones exposed to depleted uranium dust will go through hell trying to get treated just like Nam vets and Agent Orange. Simply outrageous and too many citizens sit back and do nothing except wave flags and stick magnets on their cars. The white house and politicians on all sides of the aisle need to be told in no uncertain terms to take care of the veterans they send off to hazardous duty. Hey taxpayers war is NOT free.

Disability and medical care as a result of this Bush war is going to cost a bundle which Cheney,Bush and Rummy would love to hide and lie about it.

The Bush blue ribbon investigation will accomplish nothing on the long term. Halliburton is now staffing VA hospitals even though their expertise is in oil wells ...hmmmmmm. Probaly a no bid contract.

[MGKrebs]

1. It was supposed to be free.

Iraq was supposed to pay for their own destruction. But like a drunken gambler, the war supporters didn't check the odds. They believed the bookie telling them it was a sure thing. They had the inside information. Now they are trying to avoid paying by doing the only thing they can- go double or nothing. But Vito an Pino are on the way.

[Monkeyman]

2. This is a long line of cuts

[Thothmes]

3. Suggestions

I strongly disagree with # 1. The average needs of wounded veterans are generally different then the average needs of those on Medicare, ie physical wounds vs age related illness. This plan could rapidly swamp the existing VA facilities. Who would get priority, a war wounded vet or an 85 year old terminally ill medicare patient. The system needs to support veterans period. What is needed is an expansion of the VA facilities. I also disagree with # 6. Many closed down VA operations were built at the end of WWII. They were obsolete because of their age and operating costs. Again, new facilities are the answer, not un mothballing 60 year old converted medical barracks. While medicare fraud and senior citizens are of great public interest, they should never be the problems of the Veterans Administration. The Government assumes a responsibility to provide medical care for those who have been physically or mentally injured by their service to the American people. It takes a specifically designated organization to accomplish this difficult and important mission. Adding non veteran related medical missions to the VA will only turn it into another public health service.

[qwlauren35]

4. Valid Points.

VA hospitals need primarily need surgeons and psychology specialists... not oncologists...

The issues are too different.

However, with that said, there needs to be a way to protect American veteran care from politics.