US Armed Forces: Works for Me Wednesday
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Ya know what's working for me this Wednesday? The Army. And the Navy, and the Air Force and the Marines and the Coast Guard (and I hope I didn't leave anyone out!)

America is an amazing place. Not only are our armed forces an entirely voluntary corp, enlisting is a fantastic opportunity for so many people who otherwise would have no career prospects, no self discipline, and no hope of going to college.

Yo! Soldier, sailors, and pilots! Thanks for everything you do for my family.

(A side note - totally NOT working for me this Wednesday: Obama plans to take away VA benefits from our soldiers!)

That's right, Obama has a grand scheme to raise half a billion dollars by billing soldier's private health insurance companies for care for service related injuries and disabilities. Benefits that the VA should provide.

Why is this a problem? The American Legion explains:
The proposed requirement for these companies to reimburse the VA would not only be unfair, says the Legion, but would have an adverse impact on service-connected disabled veterans and their families. The Legion argues that, depending on the severity of the medical conditions involved, maximum insurance coverage limits could be reached through treatment of the veteran's condition alone. That would leave the rest of the family without health care benefits. The Legion also points out that many health insurance companies require deductibles to be paid before any benefits are covered. Additionally, the Legion is concerned that private insurance premiums would be elevated to cover service-connected disabled veterans and their families, especially if the veterans are self-employed or employed in small businesses unable to negotiate more favorable across-the-board insurance policy pricing. The American Legion also believes that some employers, especially small businesses, would be reluctant to hire veterans with service-connected disabilities due to the negative impact their employment might have on obtaining and financing company health care benefits.
Imagine that someone is in a wheelchair or has a prosthesis. Can they afford the copays, the deductibles, and the ongoing care? What if one has PTSD from battle? Most insurance companies are skimpy on the mental health benefits.

We owe our soldiers our lives and our liberty. They deserve better.

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posted by Milehimama @ Mama Says at 3/18/2009 07:36:00 AM | Permalink | |