Obama backs off plan to alter vets' healthcare

[Reggie]

By Roxana Tiron
Posted: 03/18/09 03:42 PM [ET]
The White House on Wednesday backed off a controversial plan that would have dramatically altered the way the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles insurance claims, after veterans groups staged an all-out fight against such a proposal.

President Obama will not pursue a proposal that would have allowed the VA to charge private insurance companies for the treatment of veterans with service- and war-related injuries. The proposal raised the ire of prominent Democrats on the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs panels. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was the first to announce Wednesday afternoon that the president won’t pursue such a proposal.

For the second time in a week, representatives from prominent veterans organizations went to the White House on Wednesday to meet with the White House chief of staff on VA budget issues.

Jim King, the national executive director for American Veterans (AMVETS), said that the meeting with Rahm Emanuel lasted all of 15 minutes and that the health insurance issue was the only topic discussed. The representatives of the 11 veterans organizations told Emanuel they were not willing to back down, and the chief of staff told them that he thought the issue was “off the table,” but that he needed to talk to Obama.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/...009-03-18.html

[marinejcksn]

This is great news for our Veterans. I knew the Administration would cave once enough Americans got involved and showed how mad they were over this. It was an idiotic plan in the first place.

[tacitus]

Well it looks like the 0 found out that the American Veterans have a bit of clout! I am sure that the socialists in CONgress were crying the blues letting him know they could lose seats next year - and I hope they lose a lot of them. That's the only way to control this bonehead!

[Odysseus]

This is great news for our Veterans. I knew the Administration would cave once enough Americans got involved and showed how mad they were over this. It was an idiotic plan in the first place.

I'm hoping that the same happens to a number of Obama initiatives. The polling for generic ballots is showing a preference for Republicans for the next congressional elections. We just have to hold the line for two years. Of course, that means that Specter and the Maine girls need to be reined in, but it can be done. Just make it clear that if they cross the line, they'd better cross the aisle.

[linda22003]

I agree, Odysseus. They seem to be floating trial balloons on lots of issues, and now we've seen that the balloons might be easy to pop.

[lacarnut]

I agree, Odysseus. They seem to be floating trial balloons on lots of issues, and now we've seen that the balloons might be easy to pop.

The battles have just begun cause Obama and the Democrats want to make a sharp turn to the left. The Prez can do many things to harm this country just by Exec. orders.

The government meddling in veterans insurance care is about as Un-American as it gets.

[tacitus]

Tricare fees, GI Bill transfers eyed for ’09
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes


President Bush’s final defense budget, for fiscal 2009, asks a reluctant Congress for a third time to raise Tricare co-payments on drugs dispensed at retail pharmacies and to increase Tricare enrollment fees and deductibles for working-age military retirees and their families.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, soft-pedaled arguments for fee increases this year while presenting the ’09 budget to the armed services committees Tuesday.

Oops!