Our broken government continues to fail the service members

[cynatnite]

But the number of wounded is not clear-cut. In fact, that count is elusive. DoD numbers have tallied 17,702 wounded.

"Basically, that's everybody who has been through the major military hospitals, like Walter Reed Army Medical Center," said Kryn Westhoven, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "There are some who are not counted in that roll-up, and the numbers are not broken down by state."

New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine has asked the department to track the number but the task is "nightmarish," according to Westhoven, particularly since the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (known as HIPAA) does not allow patients' medical information to be reported because of privacy issues. HIPAA covers both the civilian and military populations.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060319/NEWS01/603190369/1006

Nearly 150,000 Iraq and Afghanistan vets have shown up on the doorsteps of VA health centers since 2001 -- and about one third, 46,000, have been seen for mental health issues, the agency says. Veterans' advocates say those figures point to cost increases ahead, with two wars in progress.

VA officials and the White House insist they are ready to deal with this ongoing human cost of war, marked not by fatalities alone but also by those who survive.

They say President George W. Bush's budget proposal next year would mark a 69 percent increase in veterans health-care spending since he took office, to $34.3 billion. About $300 million in new spending in the past two years has shortened waiting times for care and largely erased the problems outlined by its post-traumatic stress disorder committee, the VA insists.

But many veterans groups -- from newcomers like the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America to mainline stalwarts like the American Legion -- say Bush's spending still shortchanges the needs of veterans and leaves the VA ill-prepared to deal with what's still to come.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usvets0320,0,2166439.story

[Lasher]

1. Veterans may face health care cuts in 2008

By Andrew Taylor, AP Writer
March 6, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - At least tens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half - if the White House is serious about its proposed budget.

After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.

In fact, the proposed cuts are so draconian that it seems to some that the White House is simply making them up to make its long-term deficit figures look better. More realistic numbers, however, would raise doubts as to whether Bush can keep his promise to wrestle the deficit under control by the time he leaves office.

"Either the administration is proposing gutting VA health care over the next five years or it is not serious about its own budget," said Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas, top Democrat on the panel overseeing the VA's budget. "If the proposals aren't serious, then that would undermine the administration's argument that they intend to reduce the deficit in half over the next several years."

http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20060306f

When Bush first assumed the presidency, all honorably discharged veterans could enroll in VA health care. I have simplified quite a bit in making this statement. If you want details, hit this link:

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/eligibility/determining_eligibility.asp

Beginning on January 17, 2003 the VA started turning some away - basically, those whose income is above the poverty level. Veterans' prescription copays have been increased twice during Bush's tenure, from $2 to $8 - an increase of 300%

I have trouble trying to figure out how many veterans there are, and how much funding needs to be provided for each of them. I prefer to think about what vets used to get, and compare that with what they can expect today. Based on this simple logic, Bush has cut veterans' benefits. Rest assured, he will continue to cut them if he has his way.