In a move that only someone with a deep-seated hatred of the men and women who risk their lives to protect our rights could dream up, Obama wants to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of wounded veterans with service-related injuries.
The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization says he is “deeply disappointed and concerned” after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases.
“It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan,” said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. “He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it.”
Refused to hear arguments? I knew that Obama had absolutely no experience going into his first term, but this is just arrogance.It appears that the Obamessiah has started to believe his own press.
When a citizen volunteers for the armed services, one of the pacts which is made is that the country will take care of the solider should they be wounded in service to their country. It’s practically a sacred oath between the armed services and the individual. If Obama gets his way, our wounded veterans, and even veterans who are not wounded, will be screwed in the following ways:
- Small businesses will refuse to hire these folks because it will drive up their insurance costs.
- People will stop volunteering for military service.
- Coverage limits for wounded veterans could be exhausted by the veteran’s injuries alone, leaving the rest of the family without coverage.
- Everybody’s insurance rates will increase to cover the costs now incurred by private insurance companies in caring for the wounded veterans.
Its obvious that Obama cares not one whit about the people who risk their lives to protect the freedom we enjoy in this country. Remember this; Obama is doing this at the same time he is spending trillions of dollars on pork in the budget, in baling out deadbeats with mortgage problems, and giving billions of dollars to mismanaged banks who are still operating under the direction of the people who mismanaged them in the first place.
This is the “hope” and “change” liberal America brought to the government. My guess would be that the liberals in power are too stupid to be ashamed of what Obama is doing to our veterans.
UPDATE: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air reminds us that all of Obama’s campaign promises have an expiration date, even if it is a “sacred trust.”
March 17th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Obama’s budget would add $25 billion to the Veterans Administration, prompting the Vietnam Veterans of America to declare “this is the best budget submitted by a President in the 30-year history of VVA.”
That sure doesn’t sound like “someone with a deep-seated hatred of the men and women who risk their lives to protect our rights.”
The proposal to bill private insurers for some services may or may not survive the budget process (I’m guessing not), but it involves just $540 million compared to $25 billion. I doubt any veteran would even notice the difference if it were to pass. And the idea that it would cause companies to not hire these veterans is laughable. Do you not know about the government benefits that get showered onto companies when they hire disabled vets?
March 17th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Mike, the fact that Obama would even suggest this shows his hatred of this country’s veterans. What good is spending $25 billion on new VA hospitals and staff if the veterans can’t afford to use them?
And yes, businesses will stop hiring veterans when they realize how much higher their insurance premiums for all of their employees will be. And, if they still hire the veteran, then all of their employees’ rates will go up.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Obscene plan. Obviously, Sen. Kennedy is getting great care with his brain tumor. What this country needs to do is get ONE plan and have everybody live under it, including the pampered, over-benefitted self-made live-above-everybody else privileged class that exists in our Congressional Halls!
Hummmmm. In fact, we need to tighten our belts. Military told to cut 10%, local schools trying to tighten 20% off of their budget. Let’s see; isn’t there some way our fabulous 50 Senators and their fellow Representatives couldn’t take 10-20% off of THEIR budget? Don’t they have a way of cutting their electricity/printing costs/parking costs/staff/telephone bills/hair cut bills/car washing bills/chauffeur bills? Lordy, these people only WORK 4 days a week (less if America is in a lucky week!) and seems if Americans have to ’suck it in’, they could, too.
Oh, gosh, I forgot. Our Congress has forgotten HOW to ’suck it up’. All they know how to do is HAND out and give out to their cohorts, or illegal aliens or imprisoned TERRORISTS (are we still allowed to say the last two or do we have to say ‘undocumented immigrants’ and ‘misguided non-uniformed freedom fighters’?).
I’m disgusted with all of them! They’re letting our country run down the drain while they diddle in Congress demanding hearings as to why 7 D.A.s were fired seven years ago!
Maybe instead of having “tea parties” around the country, we should dump our whole Congress into the Boston waters!
There! I DO feel better.
March 18th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Well, what do you know?
So when the Veterans talk, Obama listens. Nice change from the last eight years, I think.
March 22nd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Mike, with all due respect, you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Under the Bush Administration, spending on Veterans’ benefits increased 56%., despite the fact that the Democrats ran the Congress for most of the Administration’s final four years. Some of Bush’s largest and most enthusiastic crowds have been comprised of active-duty military and veterans.