The Bush administration proposed budget is about to give veterans the opportunity to pay more for their medical care. This would be for the conditions the VA has determined to be not service connected and the veteran is under 50% service connected.
The proposed co-payment going to a possible $15 per 30 day supply of medicine, $20 for a medical visit and an enrollment fee of $250. It is time to write you congressional representatives and complain! Many of you said the VA would never increase the prescrition co-pay 350% but they did. The time to complain is now, tomorrow may be to late.
Dave Barker

IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO COMPLAIN, NOW IS THE TIME WHILE IT IS A PROPOSAL. IF IT BECOMES LAW IT IS GONE FOREVER.

AS ONE WHO HAS HAD TO HELP A VETERAN GET PROMISED BENEFITS, I CAN TELL YOU IT IS DISHEARTENING AND WE MUST FIGHT JUST TO MAINTAIN CURRENT PROMISES.

COME ON GUYS AND GALS, E-MAIL LIKE HELL!?!

IT OCCURS TO ME TO ASK ALL MY ELECTED OFFICALS TO AGREE TO THE SAME ADJUSTMENT ON A PRO-RATA BASIS OF THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE BENEFITS.

PERHAPS THIS APPROACH MIGHT TAKE THE FORM OF A REFERENDUM ON THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT.

WHAT SAY YOU? LET'S SEND E-MAILS TO O'REILLY AND LIMBAUGH AND CNN AND PBS?

What happens when you don't have co-?

There is a possibility in the future you may have a co-payment regardless of your income. The plans of the current administration are to have "veterans pay their share" in the VA healthcare budget. A sliding scale could be put into effect.
A possibility looms ahead that a service connected veterans regardless of percentage, could be treated for a non service connected issue and be charged a co-payment. In other words it is POSSIBLE in the future, a veteran could be 100% service connected for their PTSD and be charged a co-payment for the treatment received for their common cold.
It is also of sad note, this topic slid to nearly the bottom of the page in less than 24 hours. This shows me that interest in veterans health care does not rate very much attention from the masses.
Dave Barker

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL...LIKEWISE, MOST INTEREST IS SELF-INTEREST.

GOOD PEOPLE CAN DO BAD THINGS OUT OF IGNORANCE AND INDIFFERENCE.

MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT A MAJORITY OF WWII AND KW VETS HAVE EXTENDED FAMILY AND/OR BENEFITS TO SEE THEM THROUGH THEIR FINAL DECLINE.

THE VN-ERA AND ALL-VOL VETS ARE NOT AS FORTUNATE AND FACE MORE THAN OLD AGE...BUT THEY DID NOT, AND DO NOT, HAVE A CONSTITUENCY TO LOBBY FOR HELP WITH RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF A.O. AND G.W.S.

I TRULY DON'T WANT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY TO BE THE CATALYST FOR THE NEEDED AWAKENING OF OUR CITIZENS AND VETERANS THROUGH A REPEAT FOR OTHER FAMILIES AFTER GWII.

I AM ASTONISHED THAT THIS BROKEN PROMISE REMAINS.

CARRY ON IN THE IMPORTANT WORK. RESPECTFULLY YOURS...

What do you recommend there ICorp?

I recommend contacting any of the Veterans Service Organizations to learn what they know about this issue.

In regards to the pending budget proposal on VA increasing co-pays, the best thing possible for veterans to do is to speak with their veteran organizations. Together they (we) may be able to stop the proposed changes.
Dave Barker

Today I was told the budget for the VA is suggested to be reduced by 10%. This will be 5.8 billion gone...........
The House is nearing passage of this this budget. If you want the VA to be able to function you better contact your congressman or congresswoman and Senator now!
Dave Barker

quote:

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Originally posted by McElreathElmerC:
What happens when you don't have co-?

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You get sent home without being treated?

I do not know if you were serious or jesting. If you were serious you need to contact a veterans service officer and have your rights, entitlements and benefits discussed in detail. If a veteran is service connected for a condition there is no co-payment. The veteran is treated. If the condition is service connected there is no charge for medication.
It is when the treatment for non-service connected conditions a co-payment may be levied.
If the veteran is under the income limits set by the VA, there is no co-payment.
VA health care is a serious matter. Often veterans with serious conditions which have NOT been adjudicated are either charged a co-payment or denied treatment due to their income.
For example a veteran who saw combat in Vietnam and did not apply for VA Compensation. He/she is having severe depression and serious nightmares with violent flashbacks. This veteran will not currently be enrolled for VA health care if his income places him in Priority Group 8. Plain and simple. The veteran must now apply for service connected compensation. However, the veteran must have a diagnosis to be furnished to the rating specialist in order to have the claim approved. Thus, the veteran must have a private doctor to diagnose his/her condition and submit that evidence to the VA rating board for consideration.
The medical cost for the veteran serving this nation will now be borne by the veteran. That is until an adjunct condition in the VA medical facility could be made. However, if the veteran is not seen in the VA the adjunct condition is only a passing thought…..
Dave Barker

One of my fellow associates who is in the Congressional link advised me March 27th the House Budget Committee approved a slight increase in VA appropriation. It granted 10% additional to the proposed budget. Sounds good huh?
Sorry it is 10% of the 10% cut which to my mind is 1%.
The cuts in the Veteran Affairs budget will STILL make the deepest cuts in veterans’ programs since the great depression. It will cut funding for veterans’ medical care by already under funded by $835 instead of $844 million next year and by $8.7 billion instead of $9.7 billion over the next 10 years.
Currently the war in Iraq is creating 200,000 new veterans; who will return to decreased VA medical care. The benefits are eroding and fast.
Please contact your Congressional Representatives and complain about this slap in the face veterans are receiving!!!
Dave Barker

According to the Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) in the May 20,2003 edition, the Bush Administration has asked for new co-payments to be imposed upon veterans. This is to offset the budget problems the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs said earlier this month recently did not exist.
The Bush administration is about to give veterans the opportunity to pay more for their medical care. This would be for the conditions the VA has determined to be not service connected and the veteran is under 50% service connected.
The new co-payment going to $15 per 30 day supply of medicine, $20 for a medical visit and an enrollment fee of $250. You were warned of this impending doom months ago. Many of you said the VA would never increase the prescription co-pay 350% but they did. If you care about veterans healthcare this is your last chance to stop the eroding benefits.
I warned the members of Military.com of this situation March 10th
Dave Barker

In my previous post I stated enrollment fee $250. I should have stated annual enrollment fee of $250. Sorry about that.
Dave Barker