Veterans deserve affordable health care

[pickledpepperRN]

Veterans deserve affordable health care

Sunday, November 11, 2007

BY ZENEI CORTEZ RN

Veterans Day is traditionally the moment we choose to honor the contributions of the 24 million Americans who have served in our armed forces. But it's not enough to recognize their service abroad if we abandon them when they come home.

Nearly two million of those veterans, including soldiers who survived the mayhem of Iraq and Afghanistan, have returned without access to health care...

...Consider the case of Michael Embrich of Bayonne. He came home unharmed two years ago after serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan -- far luckier than many of his compatriots who lost their lives or limbs. But now he has no health insurance. He runs a small business as a security contractor; he is not eligible for VA health care and can't afford private insurance.

He's 26 years old and healthy, going to college at night, trying to get back into civilian life. "I just can't afford health insurance," he said....

...Getting veterans the health care they need and deserve should be a top priority. It's embarrassing to think that people who fought for us are ignored when they get sick as civilians.

But it's also a scandal that so many Americans have no health insurance, or have health insurance that doesn't adequately cover their medical and prescription drug needs.

What better tribute to our veterans than to provide them and their families -- and the rest of us -- with access to quality affordable health care.

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1194760028249360.xml&coll=1

[mak2]

Send him to the VA, we can help him. They are never ignored. where did you get that?

[CRNA2007]

Why your typical left wing version of the weekly world news probably some so called newspaper of record.

Send him to the VA, we can help him. They are never ignored. where did you get that?

[pickledpepperRN]

I admire profoundly the care provided our veterans. I worked at the VA during the Viet Nam war.

Here are some articles:

Almost two million veterans lack health coverage

Study finds sharp increase in number since 2000

© 2007 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College

http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/node/7660

Study: Nearly 2 Million Military Veterans Are Without Health Coverage

By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

A recent Harvard Medical School study reveals that nearly 2 million American military veterans have no health coverage. In other words, more than 12 percent of the 47 million people in this nation without health insurance are veterans. According to the Harvard press release, this study is published in the December 2007 American Journal of Health and was conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers at Cambridge Health Alliance.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/437961/study_nearly_2_million_military_veterans.html

Lack of Health Coverage Among US Veterans From 1987 to 2004

http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/AJPH.2006.106302v1

Veterans Without Health Care

Published: November 9, 2007

Although many Americans believe that the nation's veterans have ready access to health care, that is far from the case. A new study by researchers at the Harvard Medical School has found that millions of veterans and their dependents have no access to care in veterans' hospitals and clinics and no health insurance to pay for care elsewhere. Their plight represents yet another failure of our disjointed health care system to provide coverage for all Americans.

The new study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, estimated that in 2004 nearly 1.8 million veterans were uninsured and unable to get care in veterans' facilities. An additional 3.8 million members of their households faced the same predicament. All told, this group made up roughly 12 percent of the huge population of uninsured Americans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/opinion/09fri2.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

From the Veterans Administration web site:

The number of veterans who can be enrolled in the health care program is determined by the amount of money Congress gives VA each year. Since funds are limited, VA set up priority groups to make sure that certain groups of veterans are able to be enrolled before others.

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

Priority Groups-http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/pubs/EPG/

* Enrollment Restriction:

Effective January 17, 2003, VA suspended NEW enrollment of veterans assigned to Priority Group 8e and 8g (VA's lowest priority group consisting of higher income veterans).

Veterans assigned to Priority Group 8e and 8g are veterans who are enrolling for the first time on or after January 17, 2003, and whose income exceeds the current year income threshold, who have no other special eligibilities such as a compensable service connected condition and who refuse to provide income information are not eligible for enrollment at this time.

Veterans enrolled in Priority Group 8a and 8c on or before January 16, 2003, will remain enrolled and continue to be eligible for the full-range of VA health care benefits.

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

Financial Income Thresholds for VA Health Care Benefits

- http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/pubs/VAIncomeThresholds/

[pickledpepperRN]

Meanwhile the President and the Congress acuse each other but there is hope:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-dems-take-battle-over-veterans-to-the-airwaves-2007-11-10.html

[mak2]

Interesting, I thought combat vets got a 2 year free ride. I know I am not eligible to be treated at the VA because I make too much and have insurance even though I would otherwise qualify. I will investigate further when I get back to work tommorw.

[pickledpepperRN]

I don't think eligibility is suspended for veterans with recent combat service.

Let us know.

And thank you for caring for veterans.