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Veterans Health Administration Budget

Posted in Uncategorized | August 27th, 2011

veterans health administration budget
Will Republicans reduce funding for the VA?

“The House Budget Committee, chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), has told a veterans’ group it is studying a plan to save $6 billion annually in VA health care costs by cancelling enrollment of any veteran who doesn’t have a service-related medical condition and is not poor.

“Committee Republicans, searching for ways to curb federal deficits and rein in galloping VA costs, are targeting 1.3 million veterans who claim priority group 7 or 8 status and have access to VA care.”

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,229352,00.html?wh=news&ESRC=marine.nl

“The Obama administration and Congress actually had been moving in the opposite direction, to expand VA enrollment, until Republicans won the House.”
Actually, Hawk, I was inviting you to give your opinion. Do you think it should be reduced or expanded or completely eliminated as MikeGolf suggested?

As a Republicain and a disabed veteran – I am of the opinion that the VA should be eliminated. Do this would in fact provide better services for veterans at a lower cost to the taxpayer.

1) Make VA compensation the responsibility of the DOD payroll system. Not only will this provide better service from a more modren system but veteran’s claims can be verified in minutes as there is direct assess to the veteran’s electronic service and medical records. The DOD pays approved claims from the payroll account then gets reimbursed from the treasury.

2) The same thing with other compensation such as the GI bill. The military already has a system for educational reimbursement – just add on the GIB. Again – better service to the veteran because there will be a seamless transition from his active-duty education reimbursement to the GI bill upon ETS.

3) Veteran’s medical care should be contracted out among three national health plans. Each healt plan bids for the contract to provide veteran’s medical care and the veteran is given a menu of various health plans just like employees of private companies. This provides better service to the veteran because not only are HMO medical facilities more numerous and easier to get to – but the veteran can piggyback his VA insurance with his company health insurance by getting both from the same company.

BTW – the VA has been running a means-testing where people who do not have service connected medical conditions and exceed spefic income levels are given such a low priority that they are in effect – denied routine medical services.