Posted on 10/19/2004 1:49:27 PM PDT by Kaslin
Report From Physicians' Group Says Nearly 1.7 Million Veterans Lack Health Coverage
WASHINGTON Oct. 19, 2004 — Nearly 1.7 million military veterans have no health insurance or access to government hospitals and clinics for veterans, according to a report Tuesday from a doctors' group that favors federally financed health care. The Bush administration disputed the numbers.
Other veterans reported they were on waiting lists for appointments, could not afford co-payments or lived in communities with no veterans' facilities, the report said.
Cynthia Church, spokeswoman for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the doctors' group was "using veterans to advance their political agenda."
The administration estimates the number of uninsured veterans at under 900,000, Church said. Wait times to see doctors also have been reduced, she said.
More than 300,000 were waiting more than six months for appointments in July 2002, she said. "Now, virtually no veteran waits more than 60 days," she said.
Like other Americans who are uninsured, most veterans have jobs. More than 85 percent worked within the past year, the report said.
Many uninsured veterans reported serious health problems, the report said. Between 20 percent and 30 percent said that they delayed or could not afford care, medications and eyeglasses.
More than 40 percent said they had no medical visits in the past year and two-thirds said they had no preventive care.
Another 3.9 million people without health insurance live in veterans' households and also are ineligible for veterans' health care, the report said.
Almost all uninsured veterans served during the Vietnam war or more recently. Those who fought in World War II and the Korean War are older than 65, making them eligible for government health care through Medicare.
On the Net:
Physicians for a National Health Program:
The number of uninsured veterans jumped by 235,000 since 2000, meaning they are losing health insurance at a faster rate than the general population, said Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates a universal national health insurance program. About 45 million Americans have no health insurance, including 5 million who lost coverage during the past four years, according to the Census Bureau.
"We're sending men and women off to war, and yet the people who fought previous wars can't get the basic things they need to go on with their lives afterward," said Dr. David Himmelstein, a Harvard Medical School professor and an author of the study.
The report traced some of the increase to the Bush administration's decision last year to suspend health care services for higher-income veterans to reduce waiting times for doctor's appointments.
Health care needs to be addressed in the next Bush term in office. The middle class is taking a hit on this issue.
Huh?
I swear that everyone in this country is either out of work or lacking health care or both.
What a coincidence that this is reported by ABC just in time for Kerry's latest attack on Bush...
They do seem to have a mission in mind.
This is such a load of crap. Just about anyone can get VA medical care.
Hmmm--any connection to Kerry allies with VVAW/VA connections, like Max Cleland for instance?
My husband works at a VA facility, and this so-called "doctors' report" is shamefully distorted and completely untrue.
Not
Thinly veiled attack by ABC News against the President.
I actually think you are right. Bush should address this in his second term.
Even though my family is provided health care by my employer via my benefits and contributions to the plan, they are considered uncovered by statistics because they are not the primary subscriber. The numbers of people without health care in the US is so skewed I don't even listen to it anymore.
Plus, anyone can walk into any public hospital and get top treatment by LAW. Try that in any of your "progressive" national health care countries.
Can we reemphasize that Al Gore, "inventor of the internet", slashed the military budget beyond all reason and drove many military families into poverty?
Exactly, also they can get Trycare
http://www.factcheck.org/article144.html
ABC should read this.
No kidding-even veterans who can afford other health care can get their snouts into the trough (if they are clever) for a year or two until they are caught-their doing this, of course precludes someone with a proven service related disability who really needs and deserves care from getting it.
As a military retiree that is absolutely true!
Surprising as it may be, the vast majority of Veterans live where there are no military or VA health facilities! Perhaps the law should be re-written so that it requires that all veterans live within easy driving distance of either military or VA medical facilities - then this issue will go away.
I see this junk all the time. People in the town where I live cry the blues that they have no VA facility HERE.
I don't think we can spend enough money to ensure that every veteran is within 40 miles of a VA facility.
What a bunch of hooy!
My husband retired from the Army, and we have had Tricare ever since it came into being-Tricare is only for active and retired military and their dependents. It is great insurance, though-we were in a bad auto accident last year and the co-pay for our emergency room services was about half what I expected it to be.
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