DAV asks for your help!

[Gimpy]

Just got this yesterday from the Disabled American Veterans!

##############

From the Disabled American Veterans:

Contact Your Elected Officials Regarding Fiscal Year 2006 Budget
Please Take Action Now!

Contact your House member and senators to urge that they support and vote for adequate funding for veterans? programs and oppose the recommendations in the Bush Administration?s fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget that asks Congress to enact legislation to allow veterans to be charged for their medical care to make up some of the shortfall in the appropriations requested.

A head of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration acknowledged in congressional testimony that VA needs at least a 13-to-14% higher funding level each year just to maintain current services in the face of inflation and other increased costs. The Administration?s budget for fiscal year (FY) 2006 seeks $27.8 billion in appropriations for veterans? medical care. This amounts to only a 0.4%?or less than one-half of one percent?increase over the FY 2005 appropriation in nominal, or constant, dollars, and therefore would be a reduction below the FY 2005 appropriation of $27.7 billion adjusted for inflation.

The Administration?s budget would tighten funding for veterans? medical care at a time when an influx of new veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will place substantial new demands upon a system already unable to meet its mission. The Independent Budget, coauthored by the Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars, estimates that VA will need at least $31.2 billion for veterans? medical care in FY 2006. Otherwise, VA will be unable to provide timely care to sick and disabled veterans. Another inadequate appropriation in 2006, following the inadequate appropriation provided for 2005, will likely force VA to delay medical care for many and deny it altogether for other veterans.


Even worse, to bridge some of the gap between the resources needed and the appropriations requested, the Administration?s budget would shift some of the costs of VA medical care from the Government onto veterans themselves. To shift costs to veterans, it would impose a $250 annual enrollment fee and increase pharmacy copayments for so-called ?lower priority veterans? (Priority Group 7 & 8 veterans) seeking medical care. According to the Administration?s budget, imposing these fees has two goals: (1) to generate non-appropriated revenues in the form of money collected from veterans and thereby partially offset reductions in appropriations, and (2) save money by driving a projected 213,000 veterans away from the VA medical care system in FY 2006. To further partially reduce the gap between resources needed and appropriations requested, the Administration merely declares that it will achieve $590 million in savings through new management efficiencies, a highly questionable proposition.

These proposed user fees are nothing more than taxation upon the benefits of disabled veterans. Such fees depart from the fundamental principle that veterans? benefits are provided to veterans free by a grateful nation in return for their service and sacrifices. Assuming Congress agrees to impose these taxes on disabled veterans, assuming the projected savings from the unconscionable scheme to drive veterans away from the system created for them, and assuming all of the savings from the attainment of new efficiencies, the total budget authority would still fall far short of what is needed to maintain services. The total budget authority for medical care would still be so inadequate that it would require draconian reductions in essential medical services to veterans. The Administration?s budget would reduce VA medical care staffing in FY 2006 by 3,712 fulltime employees below FY 2005 levels.


Also, the Administration?s budget proposes a sharp curtailment of long-term care to disabled veterans. The Administration?s budget requests that Congress change the law to relieve VA from congressionally mandated levels of VA long-term care. The Administration?s budget would provide VA nursing care to 27% fewer veterans in FY 2006 than in FY 1998, the year used for comparison because the law employed 1998 capacity as a statutory minimum level of VA nursing care capacity. The Administration?s budget will cover the costs of nursing care in state institutions for 61% fewer veterans in FY 2006 than in FY 2005.


The Administration?s budget would also make further personnel reductions in VA?s Veterans Benefits Administration at a time when benefit claims are expected to increase and despite the unacceptable delays already occurring due to inadequate staffing. The budget includes no funding to continue information technology initiatives designed to improve efficiency in benefits administration. Veterans who need benefits for the necessities of life or subsistence will suffer additional hardships because of VA?s inability to make timely decisions on their claims.


For medical programs, administrative and operating expenses, and other programs funded by discretionary appropriations, the Administration?s budget seeks $30.697 billion in appropriations, $4.286 billion less than The Independent Budget recommendation of $34.983 billion.




The Administration?s FY 2006 budget simply does not request the appropriations necessary to allow the timely delivery of benefits and services to disabled veterans. Urge you legislators to support total discretionary appropriations of $34.983 billion for VA, of which $31.2 billion would be for veterans? medical care. Urge your legislators to reject the Administration?s request for legislation to impose a $250 annual enrollment fee and a $15 pharmacy copayment upon Priority Group 7 & 8 veterans.

Contact your legislators by a personal visit to their offices, by telephone, by mail, or by e-mail. You may send a prepared e-mail message by entering your zip code at our web site.


As always, thank you for your support.

##################