Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Priority 8 VETS (Most whom are Contractors)


Did they see it coming?????

Then- January 24, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC — The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Anthony Principi, has announced that health care enrollment for new Priority Group 8 veterans will be suspended for one year (News Release, January 17, 2003).

Entire story -


New Priority 8 Veterans Not Eligible for VA Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC — January 24, 2003 — The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Anthony Principi, has announced that health care enrollment for new Priority Group 8 veterans will be suspended for one year (News Release, January 17, 2003). Priority Group 8 veterans are those veterans with no service–connected disabilities and with incomes above a threshold amount that is based on geographic location.

The decision applies only to Priority Group 8 veterans who did not enroll for VA health care benefits by January 17, 2003, and not to those who are already receiving VA health care. It also does not apply to veterans in other priority categories.

A Plan for Veterans Who Receive Medicare
The VA and the Department of Health and Human Services are working on ways to give elderly Priority Group 8 veterans access to a “VA+Choice Medicare” plan. The plan calls for the VA to participate as a Medicare+Choice provider. Eligible veterans would be able to use their Medicare benefits to obtain care from the VA.

Legislation to Fund VA Health Care
The VA is unable to provide all enrolled veterans with health care services because of the increased number of veterans seeking care, according to Mr. Principi. More than half of all new enrollees have been in Priority Group 8. Also, the demand for VA health care is expected to continue.

The veterans’ organization, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), believes that the solution to the health care problem lies in “proper funding” (VFW Washington Weekly, January 21, 2003). Along with other veterans’ groups such as the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans, the VFW supports legislation that would provide mandatory funding for all enrolled users of the VA health care system.

Senator Tim Johnson (D–SD) has introduced the Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act (S.B. 50), which ties veterans’ health care funding levels to medical inflation and the number of veterans using the system each year. The VFW believes that the bill would end annual battles over veterans’ appropriations and greatly improve access to care for all veterans.

Here we are today?

ArmyTimes.com says...

Bill calls for all vets to get VA care


By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 19, 2007 15:05:45 EDT
A key senator has joined forces with a New Jersey congressman in trying to re-open enrollment for veterans’ medical care to veterans with moderate incomes and no service-connected disabilities.
The bill, introduced in the House and Senate, would restore eligibility to veterans’ health care to about 242,000 people.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate veterans’ affairs and appropriations committees, has joined Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., in sponsoring the Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act, which would reverse a Bush adminisatration decision fouir years ago to bar new enrollments in the VA health plan for those in Priority 8, the lowest category on VA’s health care priority list.

Priority 8 includes veterans who either have no service-connected disability or a zero percent disability rating, with incomes above a threshold based on family size. The thresholds range from $27,790 for a veteran with no dependents to $38,948 for a veteran with four dependents, with an additional $1,866 in income to allow for each additional dependent.

The enrollment ban took effect on Jan. 17, 2003, and was done to cut costs (And only last 1 year). VA officials said that most of the veterans who are in Priority 8 either have or could get other medical coverage.

“When it comes to veterans' healthcare, caveats and exceptions are not acceptable,” Murray said.

Her bill, S 1147, is similar to a measure introduced in January by Rothman, a member of the House Appropriations Committee who has been trying to get enrollment reopened for Priority 8 veterans since 2004. “My legislation demands that the federal government fully fund VA health care services so that no veteran in need is turned away,” Rothman said.

Rothman’s bill, HR 463, has 37 cosponsors. Murray didn’t have any original cosponsors for her bill.

Both bills take the same approach by requiring the VA to allow enrollment for any veteran who applies, which would terminate the enrollment freeze.

The cost of restoring the eligibility of Priority 8 veterans for VA health care is a matter of some dispute. Murray’s office estimates it would cost $519 million to provide coverage today and $2.3 billion to provide coverage through 2012.

Murray said the Bush administration cut off enrollment for new Priority 8 veterans in the face of budgetary problems and growing backlogs for patients when there were other options. “Instead of confronting the VA’s shortfall head on by asking for the resources necessary to address them, this administration cut off care to veterans of modest means,” she said.

Rothman said the enrollment ban is particularly hard on people in high-cost areas, like the New Jersey counties he represents. That is because they generally earn more money, making them more likely to exceed the income thresholds — but their cost of living is higher as well.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/military_veterancare_eligibility_070419w/

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