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VA stops enrolling higher income, lower priority veterans for health care
Associated Press / SFGate

Posted on 01/16/2003 4:24:40 PM PST by RCW2001

SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, January 16, 2003
©2003 Associated Press

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/01/16/national1606EST0711.DTL

(01-16) 16:13 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

The Veterans Affairs Department will suspend enrollment Friday for higher-income vets seeking health care for non-military related ailments ranging from routine care to heart disease and diabetes.

The suspension, scheduled to last through 2003, goes against VA policy set in 1996 when Congress ordered the agency to open health care to nearly all veterans. The change is expected to affect about 164,000 veterans.

The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said the decision was disappointing but "underscores the need to develop long-term solutions to VA's health care funding problems."

In an interview with The Associated Press, VA Secretary Anthony Principi said the agency has been struggling to provide adequate health care to a rapidly rising number of veterans. The VA's patient population ballooned from 2.9 million in 1996 to 6.8 million today, Principi said.

"People might say, 'Well Mr. Secretary, what kind of message does this send to people who may deploy to the Persian Gulf?"' Principi said.

"I have a son in the Gulf, who may deploy to Iraq, who may fight a war if the president chooses. I think it sends a positive message that the VA is there for those who are disabled in uniform. The VA is there for men and women who come back and within the first two years need VA health care."

Ronald Conley, American Legion national commander, agreed with Principi that Congress has not provided the agency enough money to fulfill its mandate to provide care to nearly all veterans.

"The Congress of the United States has to properly fund it and this is the bottom line. And the president has to go to Congress and tell them they have to fund it," Conley said.

Principi said he expects President Bush to propose a 7.7 percent increase in the VA's health care budget for 2004, but he said it would not be enough.

The enrollment suspension applies to those considered the lowest priority for benefits, veterans with the highest incomes and no military service-related health problems, known as Category 8 veterans.

How much a veteran can earn to be considered Category 8 depends on where the veteran lives and the size of the household. For instance, unmarried veterans making more than $38,100 in Atlanta or more than $29,200 in New Bedford, Mass., would be considered Category 8 veterans.

The 6.8 million veterans already enrolled in the VA, including 1.4 million Category 8 veterans, would not be affected by Principi's decision. The VA estimates that about 164,000 Category 8 veterans would have enrolled this year.

About 18.2 million U.S. veterans do not use VA health care.

Principi, who is mandated by law to review enrollments every year, had warned Congress last session that he might be forced to limit enrollments if lawmakers did not approve a proposed $1,500 deductible for higher-income veterans.

Congress balked at the proposal, which was heavily criticized by some veterans groups.

Principi said the VA needs the enrollment "time out" to get a handle on its current workload and reduce waiting times that can be as long as six months.

Sen. John Rockefeller, the outgoing Democratic chairman of Senate Veterans Affairs committee, agreed. "Blocking health care for our nation's veterans is not the answer. The answer is providing the necessary funding for VA, and the administration is going to have to make that a priority."

Meanwhile, he said he and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson would try to work through regulations to allow the VA to be reimbursed for services provided to Medicare-eligible veterans, generally those over 65 years old.

Principi said he hopes the enrollment limit and Medicare changes will help meet an end-of-the-year goal for veterans to wait no longer than 30 days to see a primary care physician and slightly longer for a specialist.


On the Net:

www.va.gov/

©2003 Associated Press  


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 01/16/2003 4:24:40 PM PST by RCW2001
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To: RCW2001

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2 posted on 01/16/2003 4:27:21 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (Rid the country of the Clintons Donate $5 a month to Free Republic.)
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To: RCW2001
Sure is nice that our elected officials are taking such good care of those that put their lives on the line to keep us free...
3 posted on 01/16/2003 4:42:22 PM PST by Karsus (TrueFacts=GOOD, GoodFacts=BAD)
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To: RCW2001
For instance, unmarried veterans making more than $38,100 in Atlanta

This catagory of vet, and I was one, should not be getting VA care. They need to, and I did, provide for their own, non-service connected needs. Taking care of disabled vets & their families should be the first concern of the VA. If there is room for the rest of us, OK.

4 posted on 01/16/2003 4:51:26 PM PST by Ace's Dad
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To: Ace's Dad
I think your right.
Plus, why would anyone even WANT to use the VA health care system unless it's their last resort.
5 posted on 01/16/2003 5:50:59 PM PST by lizma
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To: Ace's Dad
Taking care of disabled vets & their families should be the first concern of the VA. If there is room for the rest of us, OK.

Hallelujah! I agree wholeheartedly. The perfect is the enemy of the good.

BTW, I have a service connected disability and don't expect to ever go back to a VA hospital. (unless they try to draft me which would cause my disability to actually be disabling :-)

6 posted on 01/16/2003 6:29:15 PM PST by glorgau
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To: Ace's Dad; All
I do not agree with you.

1.There was no means test when this was promised to all veterans.I sincerely doubt large numbers of veterans are scamming this particular benefit.VA hospitals are not usually considered to be in the same league as John Hopkins, or similar advanced hospitals.

2.What possible difference does it make if the veteran is single or not?If the he/she does not have a service connected disability,his/her eligability does not extend to family members anyway.

3.I have no problem if the VA wants to change benifits-for future servicemembers, but I have a major problem with making those changes retroactive.

I have never used the VA medical benefits I have supposedly earned by virtue of my military service, but God forbid someday I may need to do so.BTW,since illegal immigrants are "entitled" to things like free kidney dialysis, and are allowed to use the ER rooms of this country as free clinics, by what twisted form of evil logic can the Feds justify saving a few bucks by screwing veterans?

If anyone who agrees this is a good idea, also believes in adding prescription drug benefits to Medicare, go directly to the nearest mirror and call that image a hypocrite of the worst kind!

Rant off

7 posted on 01/16/2003 6:36:47 PM PST by sarasmom (<p>)
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To: Karsus
"Sure is nice that our elected officials are taking such good care of those that put their lives on the line to keep us free..."

The VA is a mess I'll admit, but veterans organizations are not helping IMO. The new Legion Commander has been on a mission to get every elgible veteran to sign up for VA health care wether they need it or not. In this he has been sucessful and attracted a lot of attention with the "I am not number" campaign.

His goal is admirable but not the method. Some of us veterans are in fine health and also have company health care plans. When the completely healthy sign up for these benefits, they are taking resources away from those that really need it.

Ron Conley has been smoouching with the likes of Tom Dashole and has spent his non military career as a union official. Go Figure.

8 posted on 01/16/2003 6:37:13 PM PST by SSN558
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To: RCW2001
This is wrong. Thoroughly, utterly, unconscionably wrong. Veterans benefits are compensation, not welfare. It's also changing the deal after one party has performed.
9 posted on 01/16/2003 6:42:19 PM PST by 185JHP (Was "Tuco" right? "If you're going to shoot...")
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To: Iowa Granny
The suspension, scheduled to last through 2003, goes against VA policy set in 1996 when Congress ordered the agency to open health care to nearly all veterans. The change is expected to affect about 164,000 veterans.

Please, pass along the disgust this brings to Congress from all veterans when the Democrats come to town. Maybe they will raise enough of a fuss that they can get the rules obeyed.

10 posted on 01/16/2003 8:07:05 PM PST by B4Ranch
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To: 185JHP
"It's also changing the deal after one party has performed."

You forget, if you or I do this, it's fraud and we go to jail. If the government does it, it is fiscal responsibility.

Anyway, the VA hospital system is an expensive anachronism and should be closed down. Veterans should get a voucher and get their own insurance and seek health care in the private sector. Service connected vets vouchers would be higher and high risk vets would go into a high risk pool that all insurance companies who want to sell health insurance to veterans would have to participate in.

Oh, I know it will never happen. But the solutions which makes the most sense when it comes to socialistic, paternalistic government job programs like the VA system or federal education system (ie, close them down)will never happen because they are a source of votes and political power for politicians.

11 posted on 01/16/2003 8:15:57 PM PST by Jesse
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To: lizma
I don't understand.

Am I, as a veteran, entitled to VA care for life?

(Frankly, no way. I would rather die on the floor.)

12 posted on 01/16/2003 8:25:33 PM PST by patton (Pi are not squared - but 2 Pi are.)
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To: Karsus
You will notice that the house and senate gave themselves the best health care along with a gym and a fat retirment package. They are a disgusting bunch of egotists. Republicans and Democrats alike
13 posted on 01/16/2003 8:36:30 PM PST by oldironsides
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To: RCW2001
How about redirecting all foriegn aid money to the VA until the VA budget is properly taken care of? I don't think the USA should send a freaking PENNY overseas until those who have served AMERICA are taken care of.
14 posted on 01/17/2003 11:58:50 AM PST by xrp
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To: Jesse
Oh, I agree. The VA should be shut down and veterans get free medical care for life from the private medical sector. It is vile that bums and deviates get first-class free care on demand and vets don't. But until we shut down the VA, it should be available to all. FReegards
15 posted on 01/17/2003 11:00:22 PM PST by 185JHP (Was "Tuco" right? "If you're going to shoot...")
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To: RCW2001
"I have a son in the Gulf, who may deploy to Iraq, who may fight a war if the president chooses. I think it sends a positive message that the VA is there for those who are disabled in uniform. The VA is there for men and women who come back and within the first two years need,/b> VA health care."

How much of taxpayers dollars do you think this bloated bureaucrat puts in his pockets every year? I have listened to these VA overpaid jerk offs ever since returning from Vietnam...

He can screw over vets all he desires because "He has a son in the gulf who may be deployed to Iraq"...

Notice the SOB even prefaces his idea of how care should be allocated to "within two years of returning from war"....how many complications take longer than that to manifest themselves?

The radiation experiments done on our guys is a great example of this....the VA and Govt. fought this for years...and when nearly all the vets had died off...(some leaving their families with massive medical bills) then and only then did they step up and pretend to do the right thing by those veterans...of course by then it was too late...

The fact that this administration has the balls to CUT VA medical care while demanding more kids sacrifice life and limb ..eyes and God only knows...what kinds of chemicals biologicals or radiation will be used..deny our kids medical care...or Throw the old ones out to make room for the new ones......

Disgusting...I am against going to war while vets get screwed at home...different prez...same ole crap.....(at least as far as vets are concerned)

Meanwhile the peace creeps step up their demonstrations and gulf war vets have to sue in order to get the care they need.....

16 posted on 01/18/2003 6:08:43 AM PST by joesnuffy
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To: RCW2001
The VA imo and experience is a complete bureaucratic nightmare...

As many complications of nerve gas...biologicals...other chemical agents (ours and theirs...oh wait American & Euro companies sold them some of their stuff) health complications not only dont necessarily set in for a few years & they wont always be the same in each Veteran..

The VA also hires the most incompetant affirmative action and foreign doctors....loose your state license ..you can still "practice" on Veterans....they dont pay as well as the insuranced private sector Hospitals...but hey...from what I've heard..they take anybody who graduated from an accredited medical school...even if it was in Ghana

My good friend a combat vet of 1967-68 up in Con Tien just came back from the VA...his old doctor is gone...his new one is from Ghana...speaks little english and what he does speak is unintelligable...cant get another...without changing hosptials...the one he is forced to go to...is over 150 miles away anyway...for him to go to a doctor is an all day trip...starting at 5 am and ending sometime in the evening...

A paralyzed vet buddy from grade school was forced to leave his home town and move to the big city..300 miles away because he needed daily care..his mom and dad had to move with him as he is a Quadrapeligic (his dad had to quit his 20 yr job and find a new one in the city)..(VC shot him in the neck his 11th month In Country) This kid gave up the typical life..no wife no kids no family now that his folks are gone..Is caring for him in a decent facility..giving him a home in an area he would like to live in really too expensive..given what Senators, Congressmen or even the fat assed bureaucrats in the VA make per annum?

The VA told him there was a budget crunch and he would need to purchase his own urine bags...made him feel real good...He once told me that the reason he stays alive is just to piss off the VA ..who he thinks would much rather he died and save them the money....
I'm not kidding this is what he told me...imagine that being a reason to live.....
I remember him as a kid...a very kind decent kid...and in the service he made Sgt and was still walking point at 11 months in Country...

If you go off to war...make sure you dont get wounded ..exposed to radiation...gas or biologicals..because care wont be forth coming after youve been back...trying to find work or raise a family....

President Bush must allocate some of those billions flowing into defense contractors into VA medical or make some arrangement for the long term care of the wounded and injured who wont even know theyve been injured or the extent of their injuries for years after they return...The President needs to meet with DAV and other service orgs...

Veteran support for a protracted war could dry up quickly...

Hillary and her dems are chomping at the bit.....the anti war movement is gaining steam...
I've been in the VA ...trust me you dont wanna go there...at least not the ones Ive been in

Some VAs of course are better than others...Ft. Lauderdale and Loma Linda both have good reps..and I've heard good things about St. Paul
Avoid Hines VAMC in Chicago like the plague... imo
17 posted on 01/18/2003 6:39:08 AM PST by joesnuffy
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