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House moves to fill vet health deficit
AP ^ | 6/30/5 | MARY DALRYMPLE

Posted on 06/30/2005 9:14:11 PM PDT by SmithL

WASHINGTON (AP) - A unanimous House agreed late Thursday to immediately spend nearly $1 billion on veterans health care in a swift answer to the president's call for lawmakers to plug a politically troubling shortfall.

Lawmakers approved by 419-0 a measure to close a funding gap which was disclosed last week to the surprise of lawmakers who were told unexpected health care demands had eaten a $1 billion hole in the budget for the Veterans Affairs Department.

The GOP's speedy response did not soften Democratic criticism that Republicans ignored the escalating need until it turned into an emergency.

"This shortfall is the direct result of the failed budget policies and misplaced priorities of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Republicans here have either been in denial about the plight of our veterans or it simply hasn't been a priority for them."

Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, called it "the day-late and dollar-short legislation."

Republicans responded that the GOP moved within one day to give the VA every penny it requested and that veterans will see no gap in their health care services.

Rep. James Walsh, R-N.Y., said annual spending increases show the GOP's commitment to supporting war veterans.

"Again this year, as we did last year and the year before and the year before and the year before and the year before, the Veterans Administration receives that highest increase of any budget," he said, referring to the department by its old name. "Clearly, year after year, this budget - the Veterans Administration budget - has been our highest priority."

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: veteranscare
So, Nancy Pelosi hates the Bush Administration more than she hates the military. I'd been wondering about her priorities.
1 posted on 06/30/2005 9:14:11 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

I doubt Pelosi could distinguish a Major from a Sargent. I'm sure they all look the same to her.


2 posted on 06/30/2005 9:24:50 PM PDT by kylaka
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To: SmithL
"Republicans responded.....to give the V.A. every penny it requested...."

Never thought I'd see these words roll from my own keyboard, but the Republicans knew as well as the Democrats that the VA has been grossly underfunded, and Veteran's health care has been sold down the river. All accross the country VA health centers and hospitals are taking huge hits, some closing down, many of them making drastic cuts in medical services, and literally all of them prioritizing, reorganizing and tightening their belts trying to cope with the financial crisis they are in.

Many veterans are being turned away while others are being charged ridiculous 'co-payments'. The underfunding has been very obvious to any veteran who has sought medical help from the V.A., and the various Veteran's Organizations like the DAV have been complaining loudly about it. The so-called "increases" in the VA budget that President Bush has been touting in fact amount to decreases due to increasing costs in medical care, inflation in general and more veterans seeking help. This has got to be the biggest national disgrace since Bill Clinton left office.

3 posted on 06/30/2005 10:21:18 PM PDT by TheCrusader
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To: TheCrusader
http://www.factcheck.org/article144.html

With all due respect, I don't know if that's true. In the 1994-2001 Clinton budgets, Clinton's funding went from (in millions according to this info) $37b to $47b; in Bush's budgets they went from the Clinton $47b to $65b. If that's not a HUGE increase far and away above inflation--and an incredible increase in four budgets compared to Clinton's 8--I'd be grateful for an explanation. Thanks.

4 posted on 06/30/2005 10:28:28 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 (Don't suffer fools gladly? I don't suffer them at all.)
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To: Darkwolf377
"Bush's budgets they went from the Clinton $47b to $65b. If that's not a HUGE increase far and away above inflation--and an incredible increase in four budgets compared to Clinton's 8--I'd be grateful for an explanation. Thanks."

Medical costs are skyrocketing, and much of the problem with funding is that more veterans are seeking VA healh care. Virtually all of the Veteran's Organizations, including the DAV, claim that President Bush's increases have not even kept the status quo within the VA healthcare system. From personal experience I totally agree with them. Here in Boston they've closed a large Veterans' Outpatient clinic, and they're considering shutting down four VA Hospitals. They're even trying to close the famous Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington.

Here's a little synopsis I found on the web, it pretty much sums it all up.


Underfunded VA, (2005)

As the VFW Commander-in-Chief Edward S. Banas has commented:

"The DVA [Department of Veterans Affairs] has been chronically under-funded for decades, yet thousands of dedicated medical professionals see to it that millions of veterans receive high-quality DVA health care annually at 162 hospitals across the country."

Currently, the VA (The Department of Veterans Affairs) is coping with increasing demand, both from new veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan as also from veterans now relying on VA benefits because of the economic downturn. According to the OMB report:

"more veterans are seeking VA medical care services... This increased demand has put pressure on VA's ability to care for its core-mission veteran population (military disabled, lower income, and those with special needs such as spinal cord injuries)."

Although the overall VA budget (as well as discretionary spending for the VA) has gone up every year, budget increases are simply not keeping up with this increase in demand.

Early this year, changes at the VA as well as the Bush Administration's projected 2005 budget led to a storm of controversy. As the Washington Post reported in March, veterans groups have strongly criticized these new policies and the planned budget. As yet, the budget has not been introduced to Congress.

Here are some of the major issues that have concerned veterans groups.

Inadequate Increases in VA Health Care Budget

The VA's Under Secretary testified last year that the VA health care system needs a 13-14% increase annually to maintain the services they provide now. The Administration request of $27.4 billion for 2005 provided for an increase of about 1% over the last year, and fell $2.9 billion short of the amount recommended by veterans groups (including AMVETS, the VFW, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Disabled American Veterans) in their Independent Budget. Following the Bush Administration's announcement, the House Committtee on Veteran's Affairs released a bipartisan plan calling for at least $2.5 billion more than the Administration proposal. On Feb. 4th, 2004, VA Secretary Anthony Principi admitted to a House Committee that he had asked for "1.2 billion more than I received."

New Drug Co-Pays and Annual Fees

For veterans who are currently paying a small pharmacy co-pay (7$ per month per prescription), the co-pay would rise to $15. In addition, these vets would have to pay a $250 annual fee.

New Eligibility Requirements

As of January, 2004, the VA has also announced new rules that exclude hundreds of thousands of vets whose incomes are now considered too high to qualify for benefits. The income threshold depends on where a vet lives, but ranges between about $26,000 and $40,000 per year. The VA has not pushed any enrolled vets out of the system, but veterans who now wish to enroll will be subject to the new rules.

Hospital Closures

The VA is planning a number of hospital closures as part of a larger "restructuring" plan. Originally, the VA intended to close at least 7 hospitals, but outrage from veterans groups led to a revision of the plan by an independent commission. Now, only three hospitals are slated for closure, and two new hospitals are planned in Nevada and in Florida. However, some smaller clinics are also going to be closed or cut down. Some of these clinics are underserved. But other cutbacks, like those at the clinic in Saginaw, Michigan, have angered local politicians and veterans groups. Read the article in USA Today or the AP story for details of specific clinic closures.

What about next year?

There is some speculation that the already stretched VA may be up for cuts next year, according to White House documents released in May. These planned cuts were covered by CNN.

What should be done for the VA?

Mandatory Funding of Health Benefits: Currently, VA health benefits are part of the VA's discretionary spending. This means that the federal government is not obliged to provide enough money for veterans' health benefits. When the federal money is inadequate, the states are left with the bill. Click here to see the funding gap in your state. Making funding for health benefits mandatory would ensure that the VA's budget would always cover the demand. Bills have been introduced in both the House (H.R. 2318) and the Senate (S. 50) to make this possible.

Increased Funding: Click here to view the recommended Independent Budget proposed by AMVETS, the VFW, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Disabled American Veterans, and endorsed by 30 other groups, including Vietnam Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and at least 15 medical organizations.

5 posted on 06/30/2005 11:22:18 PM PDT by TheCrusader
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To: kylaka

Sergeant


6 posted on 07/01/2005 5:43:09 AM PDT by ops33 (Retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant)
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To: TheCrusader
Virtually all of the Veteran's Organizations, including the DAV, claim that President Bush's increases have not even kept the status quo within the VA healthcare system.

Thanks for your response, but none of what you posted really addresses what I asked. The VA is in one sense just like ALL government organizations, and asks for more at all times. I'm NOT saying they shouldn't get all they need--what I'm saying is, I don't see any evidence, as opposed to CLAIMS, that Bush's enormous increase hasn't kept up with inflation. Inflation simply hasn't leaped so high that Bush's HUGE increase is somehow a sign he's this vile creature who's abandoned the vaets, particularly in light of yesterday's articles about how the congress bumped the budget up by $1billion. I expect I'll get called names now ;) but no one is going to convince me that Bush literally DOUBLING the VA budget of the early Clinton years is underfunding. I don't see any proof--none--just anecdotal evidence that the number of vets getting care AND inflation has doubled in 13 years.

7 posted on 07/01/2005 11:16:53 AM PDT by Darkwolf377 (6/30/05 budget deficit down http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0620/p17s01-cogn.html)
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To: Darkwolf377
"I don't see any evidence, as opposed to CLAIMS, that Bush's enormous increase hasn't kept up with inflation."

Don't know what it takes to convince you, but if you read the article I posted you'd have to be convinced because there's no other conclusion to arrive at but that the VA is grossly underfunded and is shutting down hospitals and cutting back on services from coast to coast.

The article basically says that inflation is a serious factor, but not the main one. The main factor is that are more veterans seeking more medical help from the V.A. than before and this is driving up the costs, which are certainly not being met by President Bush's increases. But again, this is only one article. If you truly want to find out whether the VA is being underfunded it's a very simple task. Go to Google and type in keywords "VA underfunded" and you'll discover that literally every Veterans organization out there is practically begging Washington for more money to just maintain the status quo.

From a more personal point of view, as a disabled veteran who uses the VA health care system I have seen up close and personal how medical personnel have been released over the past 8 years and the VA does not replace them. They simply put all the extra work on the backs of existing doctors and workers. Health services are being slashed in the VA and there's simply no denying it.

8 posted on 07/01/2005 3:29:32 PM PDT by TheCrusader
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To: ops33
"I'm a retired AF air traffic controller and, believe me, its just as booring sitting in the tower when you have one aircraft going round the VFR pattern. There were times when I could swear the pilot was hitting a tanker on downwind!!

Boring.

I just wanted to see if you were sleeping Sarge.

9 posted on 07/01/2005 9:42:21 PM PDT by kylaka
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