[Vision2020] Bush Plans for Raising Fees on Veterans' Health Care

[Tom Hansen]

>From the Army times at www.ArmyTimes.com -

"Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the former chairman and now ranking minority
member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, agreed with the plan."

I strongly encourage Idahoans to remember this next election day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Senators cool to new VA health care fees

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted: Tuesday Feb 13, 2007 14:09:14 EST

The Bush administration's new plan for raising fees on veterans' health care
had one supporter and many opponents as Secretary of Veterans Affairs R.
James Nicholson appeared before a Senate committee Tuesday to talk about the
VA's fiscal 2008 budget request.

Under the plan, veterans in the two lowest priority groups for care - those
without service-connected disabilities and who have modest incomes - would
have to pay an annual enrollment fee if their family income is $50,000 or
more.

The fee would be $250 for those with family incomes of $50,000 to $74,999,
$500 for incomes of $75,000 to $99,000 and $750 for incomes of $100,000 or
more.

Additionally, the pharmacy co-payment for the priority 7 and 8 veterans
would increase from the current $8 for a 30-day supply to $15.

And there is a third proposal to stop the practice of waiving co-payments
for veterans who are using the VA health care system but have other health
insurance plans. This could mean that some veterans who pay nothing for
their care today would have to pay whatever co-payment is required by their
private insurer.

Nicholson defended the initiatives, saying they are focused on veterans
"with comparatively greater means and no compensable service-connected
disabilities," and noting that even with the fees, they would be paying only
a small share of their health costs.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the former chairman and now ranking minority
member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, agreed with the plan. The
premiums are "a very reasonable price for access to what is widely hailed as
the best health care system in America," he said.

"I cannot think of anyone with a family income of at least $50,000, and
without any other health insurance options, who would suddenly drop VA
health care because it cost $21 per month," Craig said. "Perhaps some who
have other health insurance will choose not to pay multiple premiums for
multiple plans."

While Craig did not specifically say so, military retirees are among those
who might not enroll because they already pay enrollment fees, deductibles
and co-payments for Tricare health coverage provided by the Defense
Department. About 550,000 military retirees with Tricare coverage use the VA
health system, but many would be seeking VA treatment for service-connected
disabilities so they would not face the proposed fees.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she opposed the VA fees when they were
proposed in the past and will oppose them again now.

The new administration proposal has a major difference from past proposals:
Money raised from the fees would go directly to the U.S. Treasury rather
than into the VA health care budget. Nicholson said the change was made
because when Congress had rejected the idea in the past, it created a hole
in the budget that had to be filled. There would be no cut in funding for
veterans' health care if Congress rejects the plan again this year, he said.

Murray said she thinks the new idea is even worse than the old one. Under
the previous plans, fees from veterans paying for health care would at least
go to pay for the health care of other veterans. Under the new plan, the
fees only go to pay off the federal budget deficit. The new fees, she said,
"will discourage veterans from accessing the VA."

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, also opposes the higher fees. "I do not believe
this is the way to reward the working families who have served our country,"
he said. "A family with two veteran wage-earners, each taking an average
number of medications and each paying the enrollment fee, would have to pay
more than $3,000 in new out-of-pocket costs if the proposed fees are
mandated."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.