Veterans May Face Health Care Cuts in 2008

[warpedskydiver 0]

Veterans May Face Health Care Cuts in 2008
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer
Mon Feb 27, 6:53 PM


BUDGET CUTS: Chart shows previous and proposed federal spending ...
WASHINGTON - 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."

In fact, the White House doesn't seem serious about the numbers. It says the long-term budget numbers don't represent actual administration policies. Similar cuts assumed in earlier budgets have been reversed.

"Instead, the president's subsequent budgets have increased funding for all of these programs," said White House budget office spokesman Scott Milburn. "The country can meet the goal of cutting the deficit in half and still invest in key programs for vulnerable Americans, and claims to the contrary aren't supported by the facts of recent budget history."

The veterans' medical care cuts would come even though more and more people are trying to enter the system and as the number of people wounded in Iraq keeps rising. Even though Iraq war veterans represent only about 2 percent of the Veterans Administration's patient caseload, many are returning from battle with grievous injuries requiring costly care.

The White House budget office, however, assumes that the veterans' medical services budget _ up 69 percent since Bush took office and which would rise by 11 percent next year under Bush's budget _ can absorb cuts for three years in a row after that.

The cuts are outlined in a 673-page computer printout that has not been officially released by the White House budget office. However, it found its way into the hands of the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning Washington think tank.

The administration insists it makes spending policies one year at a time and that the long-term veterans' budget figures are therefore subject to change.

"We don't make multiyear discretionary funding requests," said Veterans Administration spokesman Scott Hogenson, who declined to speculate on whether long-term cuts were realistic. "We look at our needs and assess our needs on a year-to-year basis."

The rapidly growing budget for veterans' medical services, funded for the current year at $24.5 billion, would leap to $27.7 billion in 2007 under Bush's budget. But the medical services budget faces a 3 percent cut in 2008 and would hover below $27 billion for the next four years, even as increasing numbers of veterans from the Iraq war claim their benefits and the costs of providing care to elderly World War II and Korean War veterans continue to rise.

Those cuts would prove traumatic to the already troubled VA medical system, and would force staff cuts, delay investment in new medical equipment and deny care to hundreds of thousands of veterans.

"The only way you can do what they want to do in terms of actually cutting the budget is to throw a lot of veterans out who are already in the system and/or redefine who is a veteran," said Rick Weidman, director of government relations for the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Even with recent funding increases, cost-cutting moves have locked more than a quarter million veterans out of the system. Those excluded have no illnesses or injuries attributable to their military service and earn more than the average wage in their community.

In Bush's proposal to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term, he's assuming spending on domestic agency operating budgets can be frozen over the next few years.

"Each year the budget numbers go up," said Jeff Schrade, spokesman for Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Larry Craig, R-Idaho. "Speculation beyond 2007's budget is, at this point, just speculation."

But without the cuts, Bush's plan to halve the deficit would be far more difficult to achieve. For example, just freezing the budget for veterans' medical services below $27 billion understates the deficit for 2009 by perhaps $5 billion.

[namgrunt 0]

as a 3 time combat woumded viet nam vet(infantry) the VA is and has been a joke for years.

nothing new

they give out of date drugs
over prescribe meds.
refuse compensation as a normal rule the first 3 applications (just to see if you are serious)

there medical facilities are for training with mostely free med students learning how to be a doctor or foreign docs that have trouble speaking the english language

it is well known in the vet comunity that you only go there to die

for folks that think socalised medicine is the answer ..go to a va hospitol and viset

thats my 3 cents worth

..

59 YEARS,OVERWEIGHT,BALDIND,X-GRUNT
LAST MIL. JUMP VIET-NAM(QUAN-TRI)
www.dzmemories.com

[narcimund 0]

Quote

VA is and has been a joke for years.

Yet people keep signing up!

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Andy9o8 0]

OK, class, here's a little quiz:
Can anyone tell us what this budget cut (and SO many others) is being used to pay for?
Anyone? Hm?

[kallend 1,648]

We are -- should and must provide the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm's way., George W. Bush, January 2003

We have made a commitment to the troops, and we have made a commitment to their loved ones, and that commitment is that we will provide excellent health care -- excellent care -- to anybody who is injured on the battlefield. , George W. Bush, December 2003


Here's the position of the VFW from 2 years ago:
www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=1576

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[lawrocket 3]

So we see the truest example of socialized medicine here in the United States, and what happens? It sucks, budgets get cut, and they are hung out to dry.

This is what "free" medical care is.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Casurf1978 0]

Quote

So we see the truest example of socialized medicine here in the United States, and what happens? It sucks, budgets get cut, and they are hung out to dry.

This is what "free" medical care is.

I wouldnt say this is the only factor. I'm sure things would be different if the Vets had a powerful wealthy lobbyist in DC.

[Amazon 7]

I Pray that I never have to use the VA for anything every again.

Personally I think the VA should be a model in our society... there to take care of the people who gave so much for our country. For an Administration that pays so much lip service to serving and patriotism... it makes me sick. Perhaps oif a few of them had to use the services of the VA... they would see differently.

[Andy9o8 0]

I'd be curious to see a comparison of VA care in the US vs. national health care in Canada.
(Strictly a question; no answer implied)

[warpedskydiver 0]

Quote

I Pray that I never have to use the VA for anything every again.

Personally I think the VA should be a model in our society... there to take care of the people who gave so much for our country. For an Administration that pays so much lip service to serving and patriotism... it makes me sick. Perhaps oif a few of them had to use the services of the VA... they would see differently.

I am happy for you...the VA is ALL I have

wanna know the definition of a fuckup is?...

that's the person that decides to administer a MEANS test on a Service Connected Veteran!!!


oh and when this person was corrected on this GROSS error by her supervisor all she did was roll her eyes and argue that I should be tested anyways!

[ViperPilot 0]

Quote

OK, class, here's a little quiz:
Can anyone tell us what this budget cut (and SO many others) is being used to pay for?
Anyone? Hm?

So we can buy 2 more F-22s

[Gene03 0]

Isn't that called "lip service"? And not the one with the happy ending.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)