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WASHINGTON (July 22, 2009) - The national commander of the nation's largest veterans service organization has reacted to tonight's urgent call by President Obama for national health care reform.
"While The American Legion appreciates the complexity of the healthcare reform challenge facing the president and Congress," said David K. Rehbein, "on behalf of our nation's 26-million veterans and the nearly two million personnel now on active duty in more than 130 countries, we urge Congress to ensure that veterans' and military health care not be part of any national health care bill. They should be exempt in the legislation."
Rehbein added, "Our nation must maintain its long standing tradition that veterans' and military health care systems will remain independent and focused on our most deserving citizens.
"The American Legion has a proud tradition of securing and preserving the earned benefits of America's veterans," Rehbein said. "Ensuring timely access to quality healthcare for today's military and veterans is of paramount concern. These are the citizens who have borne our battles in previous wars as they still are in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have earned our care the hard way. We, as a nation, have an obligation to ensure that their healthcare is not compromised," he concluded.
With a current membership of 2.5 million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and the mentoring of youth. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.
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70% service connected disabled veteran
While I understand the idea of wanting to keep the va healthcare system untouchable from the healthcare bill I have to disagree. I have over $500,000 in hospital bills because the va is refusing to pay for non va emergency treatment and inpatient hospital stays. They also refuse to pay for ambulance service too. Lets face it, the Va healthcare system is antiquated and equates to the old county hospitals where low income people were forced to receive subpar treatment.
Vet benifits
pro-active is better then re-active reposnes to the polictians.
Amen---- let me have the tri-care I earned. AT NO COST.
when I signed in 1972 the deal was do 20 years service and we'll give you health care till death at no charge. This was major factor on why I did my 20. so give me the orginal deal = if you want to give all folks helath care... a deal was a deal.
Proposed healthcare reform
I work in healthcare and am against this so called health reform, how can I as a veteran and healthcare worker do somthing in the fight to stop ObamaCare from becoming a reality?
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health care
we earned it please do not take it we are soldiers we will always be soldiers.you fight for your country. and the usa needs to take care of us. no homeless solders,no hungry no homeless.make the soldier aplace in life just like living on post retired or not
SGT LINDQUIST AD
US.ARMY INFANTRY RETIRED.
Real Health Care Reform
When I separated from the Air Force in '92, I stayed in Germany as a civilian for a year and a half. During that time, I was enrolled in the AOK, the German healthcare program. Didn't have to wait in lines. Didn't have someone tell me what doctor I had to choose. Didn't have a co-pay. Only deductible was 10% of prescription costs. The cost? 6.5% off the top of my paycheck: about what my employee contribution is now.
It worked there. But it won't work here without major reform...
...and that reform needs to
...and that reform needs to hit a number of factors:
* We need to end the built-in incentives for unnecessary procedures and tests.
* We need real tort reform, to stop the massive lawsuits.
* We need insurance regulation to stop them from bilking the system from both ends.
* We need a modern records system that doesn't have every doctor re-inventing the wheel with each patient and spending two-thirds of their time doing paperwork.
The current bill doesn't do this, unfortunately.
These points should be conveyed to Congress and the President
These key issues must be addressed by the Congress and the President in specific terms to make health care reform truly meaningful. Can the Legion send the Congress and the President and demand ALL these key points to be addressed in the bills both in the House and the Senate? Short of any one of these would be business as usual.
There is sadly no one
There is sadly no one problem with our current healthcare system. Rather, there's a cavalcade of problems, interwoven by habit and poor regulation and misdirected free-market theory and plain old-fashioned greed. That's where the current bill falls short. It tries to patch the current system, but it's hard to patch something that's rotten through and through. It needs to be rebuilt in whole, but nobody has the political will to face the vested interests in the current system and do it.
National "Health" disaster
I am a retired army soldier since Jan. 31, 2008, with 25 yrs of active service. Now that we have a new executive branch and congress, it appears that we retirees, disabled vets, and non-service connected vets are going to be reamed by this health reform? Please just leave us alone, we vets just want to live out our lives in peace after going and coming from a war zone. Reinstate the draft.........Hooah! "Desertrat03" out.........!
No one is talking about the VET's
Notice no media is bringing up the fact that this group of thieves wants to deprive the Veteran from the VA system.
I will die waiting in for my care as a 60 yr old vet. Why keep me alive right Mr. Obama-Fonda.
The VA is the best care around for us that have military issues.
Is this true?
I need to read the 1000+ page bill, I guess, but I heard that retired military would have to be responsible for the first $6000 in medical benefits under Obama's new healthcare plan. Is that true? Thanks for helping me out on this.
Well, is it?
Here's an idea: If you have not read the bill, don't comment on it. Read it, and THEN comment. Simple enough?
REPLY TO QUESTION
THIS IS THE TYPE OF ONGOING ***** PUT OUT BY THE AMERICAN LEGION
WHICH PREVENTS US FROM OBTAINING NEW MEMBERSHIP. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME , WITH OUR DECLINING MEMEBERSHIP IN THIS ORGANIZATION THAT SOONER THAN LATER WE WILL COLLAPES AND THEN THERE WILL BE NOONE
DEFENDING AND PROTECTING THE VETERANS INTEREST. THE REPUBLICANS
AND THE FORMER REBUBLICAN PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING
FOR AMERICAN VETERANS HEALTHCARE.
.
REPLY TO QUESTION
THIS IS THE TYPE OF ONGOING ***** PUT OUT BY THE AMERICAN LEGION
WHICH PREVENTS US FROM OBTAINING NEW MEMBERSHIP. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME , WITH OUR DECLINING MEMEBERSHIP IN THIS ORGANIZATION THAT SOONER THAN LATER WE WILL COLLAPES AND THEN THERE WILL BE NOONE
DEFENDING AND PROTECTING THE VETERANS INTEREST. THE REPUBLICANS
AND THE FORMER REBUBLICAN PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING
FOR AMERICAN VETERANS HEALTHCARE.
.
Veteran / Canadian Indian - concern.
I served w/ USMC in Vietnam 1968/69.
Returned to Canada upon Honourable discharge.
State of entry New York.
Recent outpatient of the Veterans Administration Hospital Buffalo NY.
Amputee of lower left leg....service related illness.
For yrs. I went about my personal business on the Reservation.
Impressed w/ liaison w/ Admin Hosp. & service.
Concern now....will a change be about in HEALTH eligibility
....I served when many did & many did not.
I can only add my name to the list.
Health Care for Veterans
My husband, Carl Barnes, was a member of the American Legion and the VFW. Before he died he was in the VA hospital so much and I just can't imagine the audacity of someone wanting them to pay for their health insurance. I am so disgusted about this, thank God we have good leadership in the organization. The guys and gals in the military need our full support and that means when they are overseas, etc., they need to know that their family will be taken care of if they get ill or need surgery.
National Health Care Reform
Seems to me there are plenty of veterans who are uninsured or underinsured who can't use the VA. I say figure out a way to allow all veterans to enroll in the VA. In fact, maybe it is time to figure out a way to allow veterans' spouses into the system as well.
Natiol Health care
The American Legion likes the VA Hospital and TriCare programs. Both are federal programs, which if applied to civilians would be called Socialized Medicine. The members of the three branches of the federal government enjoy health care benefits above what ordinary people, including veterans enjoy, but they don't call it socialized medicine even though the taxpayers foot the bill. All of us s had good medical care during the service but we didn't consider that socialized. How is that different?
Obamas forced healthcare plan is socialism. No thanks.
Maybe, but the military is VOLUNTARY. You voluntarily sign a contract, and then expect the gov't to live up to that contract. Forcing a citizen to buy gov't health insurance is NOT VOLUNTARY. And don't give me that crap about how it will be optional. It won't. Why don't you socialist-loving, free-ride-loving, &^$*%s move to a country that is already socialist, and leave America alone.
It is not Socialized Medicine.
You are quite correct, but somehow fear mongers such as some radio talk show hosts have demonized those who want our system of health care to remain the same with many people being left out. They choose and use words like "Socialism" and "Communism" and "Liberals" like they are dirty words. As a child I lived in a "coal camp". The coal company provided us with a doctor and a dentist. That I believe could be called socialized medicine and it was good. Stop with the criticism and work it out
America is heading in the wrong direction
That's all well, and good, and warm and fuzzy, but America did not become a great country, and the leader of the free world by being a nice/warm/fuzzy country. This country is great, and strong, because it WAS using a capitalist economic system. Time, and time again, countries around the world prove that you can NOT be a powerful, or innovative country using a socialist economic system.
America is heading in the wrong direction
P.S. Gov't taking ownership, and running previously privately owned businesses (ie. car companies, banks, health insurance) IS socialism. Not "fear mongering". The term "fear mongering" is just another distracting term used by people that want America to become another weak-kneed, socialist, psuedo-european country.
that is so right
macy
that is so right
macy tapparo
age9
and i agree
National Health Care Reform
http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/ You might want to check out this website and learn more about the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Members of Congress, Judiciary, and Executive Branches are included in this program. Beneficiaries pay premiums, deductibles and copays. Members of Congress do have access to military medical facilities. Of course, we know the President and Vice President have a doctor available 24/7.
Government stay out
Obama needs to stay out of the health care industry.I don't need anymore government burearacy,everytime they vote on something I get to pay and take it up where the sun doesn't shine,just leave me alone.
I'm from Washington and I'm here to help you!
Don't look now GI, but every pay check you receive pays premiums to Medicare -- long before you are even eligible to use that Federally mandated health insurance plan. It is a pyramid scheme that uses your "contributions" to pay for the care of your elderly relatives until you become 65 years old. Let's see, I started working at 16 years old and I'm now 59 -- six more years and I become eligible to use a health insurance policy I have been paying for over the last 43 years!
I'm from Washington and I'm here to help you!
Unfortunately, if you go to VA your Medicare dollars don't. VA is prohibited from collecting money from Medicare -- no kidding! So all of the fraud, waste and abuse associated with Medicare -- VA is innocent. VA is "the best care anywhere" so why would Medicare want to get their money's worth?
GOVERNMENT STAY OUT
STOP CRYING ,THIS COUNTRY NEEDS HEALTH CARE REFORM. THE INSURANCE COMPANYS ARE'NT GOING TO GIVE IT THO THE PEOPLE.
GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE?
No one should be given anything!
No one is GIVING me anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VA medical care was part of my contract in 1966-1970.
Yes I volunteerd, didn't dodge the draft like Clinton, or have a powerful Daddy like Bush to keep out of active service.
So this Country not only owes ME, but everyone else that served.
DON'T FORGET IT.
Stop Crying?
Insurance companies are not the cause of problems that need to be addressed by health care reform. Ambulance chasing Trial Lawyers making their fortunes with malpractice suits where the sky is the limit on what a jury can award is driving up premiums the medical providers have to pay. This exposure also multiplies the unneeded procedures they perform to cover their liability. It all gets passed on to us.
Exactly. And WHO
Exactly. And WHO continuously shoots down any tort reform? I'll give you a hint; it ain't the Republicans.
No one is crying....you need to realize who you are addressing..
These are the guys and gals who save your hide so don't try to take it out on them! I would gladly help to pay for them and you should be too!
Hold the phone!
VA and military health system are very unique in that all of the health care professionals are on salary -- whether they see 10 patients or 20 patients -- they get the same pay month in and month out. No incentives for running unnecessary tests. They also don't get kickbacks from the pharmacuetical industry because they can only use the drugs approved by VA. VA and the military health system are truly health care providers. Medicare isn't but rather simply a health insurance company!
Health care reform..??
I don't understand your statement. Why should an insurance company, or any other business for that matter, give something away? They wouldn't stay in business very long if they did. And why are you so anxious to turn our health care over to a federal government that can't even fix MediCare or Social Security?
Health Care
The insurance companies aren't going to give it to you under the Government's sponsored program either. They will give little and get a lot. That's the way they do business and the government complies by blindly paying. So if you thing there is a lot of government waste in Medicare and Medicaid now, just wait until the insuranc companies get their new cash cow. We'll all go broke then. Remember that when the government builds a horse it turns out to be a camel. Costs 5 times more and does less.
Ah, c'mon now! Our leaders
Ah, c'mon now! Our leaders are ALMOST as good at managing the tax-payers money as the Russian leaders are! For instance, look at the great job they're doing with Social Security [lol]
Health Care for Veterans with Service Related Disbilities
In whatever system evolves it must include services for veterans that recoginizes the debt we owe them to honor the loss they suffered in the service of there country. No other citizen of the U.S. has such a claim and veterans should not get lumped into a system.
I believe most veterans do not want or need their medical needs to be provided by the VA. Services are more accessible and of higher quality in the private sector.
I agree
You are exactly right!! I'm a 70% service connected disabled vet and I have over $500,000 in hosp. bills va isnt paying for. Also when I am in a va facility I have all kinds of problems with drs, treatment, and quality of care. There should be some amendment that allows veterans and especially service connected disabled veterans the right to opt out "without penalty" of the va healthcare system and go elsewhere to receive better quality of care. God bless America!