Could Obama Go Farther Right Than McCain on Privatizing Veterans' Care?
TPM alum Spencer Ackerman points to a genuinely inexplicable revenue-raising move being considered by the Obama administration: charging veterans through their private health insurance companies for injuries suffered during their service.
Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed yesterday that the administration is weighing whether to start charging veterans for their combat-related injuries -- an admission that got strongly shot down by both Democratic and Republican senators.
It's worth noting that progressives hammered Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) during his presidential bid last year for suggesting that veterans should be able to seek private treatment for health problems unrelated to their service. Should the Obama VA follow through with the plan it's now considering, it would arguably be moving farther right than McCain on the sensitive question of privatizing veterans' health care.
Late Update: The Navy Times offers more background on the private-insurance proposal under consideration by the Obama VA, explaining:
Whether private insurers would pay anything [on service-related claims] would depend on their policies on serving as the second payer on medical expenses. Some insurance policies cover such costs and others do not.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Is this idea coming from the White House or just Shinseki? I hope its just Shinseki, and the White House shoots him down fast.
March 11, 2009 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
WTF? What are they thinking?
March 11, 2009 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
That was my first reaction to reading this post also.
March 11, 2009 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whoever though that one up needs to be fired. I doubt it was Shinseki's idea but if it was- bye.
March 11, 2009 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've always thought that veterans should have the right to go to any hospital or clinic they wish to, just give them a VA card and let them go. They would be treated like any other private insurance paid patient. Why should they travel MILES and for HOURS to get a simple check up?
March 11, 2009 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know enough about this to intelligently comment, but I hope it is like you suggest.
Otherwise: me
March 11, 2009 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oops html tags...
Otherwise: me <= facepalm
March 11, 2009 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
The advantage of veterans getting health care from VA doctors and hospitals is the computerized patient information system the VA has.
Because VA's patient base is stable, unlike the constantly changing patient base of private insurers, VA has been able to create and maintain detailed electronic records on every VA patient and make those records instantly available to doctors and nurses at bedside.
VA healthcare needs a lot of repair and improvement, but the stable patient base and medical database are sterling examples of what a national healthcare system should look like.
March 12, 2009 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Summers.
March 11, 2009 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dead-on.
March 12, 2009 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
As a son of a disabled Vietnam Vet who has been dead for 17 years because of his service related disability I am offended that this thought even exists. If this is true you will see me calling for a new person to Challenge Barack in 2012.
March 11, 2009 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe it's calculated to show that insurance doesn't pay???
March 11, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think we need more info on this before we comment.
March 11, 2009 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was about to say the same thing. When I see something like this that just seems too impossible to be true...usually it isn't true and there's more to it that isn't being told.
March 11, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nonstarter.
If anything they are considering whether to allow veterans to use health insurance (Private or FFS medicare) to purchase their care for non-service connected conditions from the VA. This would stretch health care dollars further.
March 11, 2009 8:20 PM | Reply | Permalink