Some Gave All - All Deserve the Best

A nation’s lifeline is directly tied to their military. One of the reason’s Rome fell was due to its military problems. In WWII France was taken over because it had inadequate military defenses. And the United States of America was born because our military was fighting for something they believed in, thus becoming the better fighters despite the fact that they were really inferior in terms of training and weapons.

Men and women lay their lives on the line when they join the military – even in times of peace. The thousands killed and wounded at Pearl Harbor joined the Navy during peace time, but they still gave all for our country. They leave the service with many types of wounds and scars – mental, physical, emotional, and financial. We, both as a nation and as civilians, need to constantly be aware that what we have is due to our veterans – the ones who died for our country, who were injured, and the ones who served in times of peace.

“‘Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America’s commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end.’ – Barrack Obama, Speech in Kansas City, MO August 21, 2007

As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Barrack Obama fought to end benefit disparities, bring homeless veterans in off the street, strengthen mental health care, add billions of dollars in additional Department of Veterans Affairs funding, and reform a system that often places barriers between veterans and the benefits they have earned. President Obama and Vice President Biden will ensure we honor the sacred trust to care for our nation’s veterans.” from http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/veterans/ March 18, 2009.

Even the government seems to agree. Wrong! Currently, there is a plan to make veterans use their private insurance to pay for treatment of combat injuries and other service-related health problems. On Monday (March 16, 2009) at a meeting with various veterans groups, President Obama said that by cutting some veteran’s benefits the savings would be $540 million. What happened to commitment beginning at enlistment and never ending? What about the homeless veterans, who no doubt, don’t have private insurance? What about the remaining WWII veterans, who are dependent on the VA hospitals and services for all of their healthcare? They can’t afford – or qualify - for private insurance at this point and Medicare doesn’t pay for any services provided by VA.

Admittedly, our country is in the middle of a serious financial crisis; budget cuts need to be made, and a lot of them will hurt. But why start with our veterans? Because of their willingness to do what the majority of Americans don’t do, they should be the very last group that we take benefits from.

Healthcare is another huge crisis facing our country today, but if veterans are using their private health insurance for service related injuries that will drive up the cost of insurance, meaning even more Americans will be forced to go without. Private insurance is also all about existing conditions – so what will happen if an injured veteran has to change providers? Will the service related condition be covered or will it become a pre-existing condition that is exempt from the new policy? Insurance companies also limit Doctors, hospitals, labs, etc., that the insured can use, which will also limit the veteran to the care that is local and approved. Prosthetics are limited in type and how often they can be replaced, even though new types are being created that would give them more freedom. Issues like these could cause veterans to be unable to obtain the necessary care and services that they should receive.

There is no quick and easy answer to either the financial or the health care problems, but the plan to cause veterans to use private insurance may help the financial problem, but the health care crisis will worsen. That is not the way to fix a problem. This is not the way to treat the men and women who put their lives on hold and on the line to defend our country and our freedoms. This is not the campaign promise to break.