I watched an entire House of Reps hearing today, on the topic of VA health care.
Here is what I heard being said. See if it comports with other people's understandings of the situation in which Vets find ourselves:
- When budget making time rolls around, the administration always asks each department (e.g. VA) to send in their estimates and figures.
- VA's estimates and figures are currently based upon a 5 year-old (i.e., pre-9/11) actuarial computer model of things as they were then.
- The VA sent their estimate in, and asked the administration to add about $1,000,000,000 in order to cope with the increases they foresaw coming down the pike.
- The administration did ask for that increase, and put forward the idea that there could be a modest "enrollment fee" and a somewhat larger "co-pay" for services given to anyone whose disability was not combat-related.
- The House committee turned down that administration request, even though VA managers warned of a shortfall if they did so.
- Now, the VA budget has that $1 billion shortfall to cope with. So, they have gone into their reserves to cover it, this year. Next year, there will be no reserves to go back to.
- More and more older Vets are beginning to sign up for medical services with the VA. This is significant because older Vets tend to have more and more complicated ailments which cost more to treat.
- The three unaccounted for (in the actuarial model) expenses which are the normal result of warfare and aging of the vet population are:
1. Long-term care
2. Prosthetics
3. Prescription drugs
- Of the $1 billion shortfall, almost $900,000,000 of it can be traced to the above 3 expenses plus a cost-of-living pay increase for VA personnel... and since Congress did not stammer when it came time to vote THEMSELVES a pay increase, maybe they might think kindly toward others in government who are in need of some assistance.
- The shifting from DOD medical coverage to VA medical care which occurs when a troop is separated from active duty, is governed by a 2-year time limitation in all instances not involving combat-related injury or disability.
- However, ailments such as PTSD and certain environmentally caused diseases (e.g. Agent Orange, Agent Blue and other such chemical/biological/radiological exposures) normally do not appear as symptoms until after the 2 year limit has expired. However, if the ailment can be traced to combat or even in-theatre causes, then the Vet will be 100% covered by VA for as long as they live.
- The exorbitant and incessantly increasing cost of ALL medical care for every American figures into the VA equation in that there are dramatically more Vets applying for VA care due to Reserves and Guard signing up after being activated, and due to the aging of pre-OEF and OIF service personnel whose medical coverage has either become too expensive or has been taken away by the corporations/organizations for whom many of them worked a lifetime.
> Congress could do one or both of two things to remedy this situation:
a. Immediately go back and approve the President's proposal to add a modest enrollment fee and a larger co-pay for non-combat related injuries and ailments.
b. Cut back on their distribution of "pork" by a factor of $1 billion, more or less.
> VA could do one thing:
a. Get rid of the outdated actuarial computer model (and consultants) they have been using for five years.
> The President could do one thing:
a. Offer to veto the entire national budget if Congress and the VA do not do the two above things for Vets.
> Vets could insist on all three of the above doing what is necessary.
And now, I go back to care packages and war dogs.
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