Buyer: Healthcare bill as it is will penalize veterans
1stCavRVN11B sent us a link the other day to a Townhall.com article by Congressman Stephen Buyer, who is also the ranking member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a full colonel in the Army Reserves. Buyer claims that, as it stands this minute, the healthcare bill in the House will penalize veterans;
[T]he House bill as it stands today still would not, repeat, would not exempt veterans who receive VA healthcare from the punitive 2.5 percent tax that the bill would impose for failure to have “acceptable coverage
The current House bill would also create a disincentive to hiring members of the National Guard and Reserve by levying an eight percent payroll tax penalty against employers that do not provide continuous health coverage to its employees. Continuous coverage for National Guard and Reserve members is not always necessary because they frequently transition to and from active duty where they have access to TRICARE.
Buyer claims that two of his amendments to fix problems in the bill have been accepted but that he has four other amendments pending. From his website;
The four amendments Congressman Buyer and Chairman Waxman plan to work to reach an agreement are: 1) prevent veterans from being subjected to a 2.5 percent tax because they may be enrolled in a VA health plan; 2) exempting the Guard and Reserve employers from the eight percent penalty tax; 3) allow VA reimbursements from third party medical insurers; and 4) exempting the Guard and Reserve members from the 2.5 percent penalty tax.
Yeah, someone keeps coming around to say this is “scare tactics” from Republicans to scare veterans – yet the loopholes exist. The people who call them “scare tactics” weren’t around when a Democrat Congress doubled co-pays for active duty members who used civilian hospitals because they were on recruiter duty or in ROTC instructor groups as well as retirees. They weren’t around when dental and eye coverage for dependents ended. Or when retirees over 65 was moved from Tricare to Medicare.
Many of the things the politicians want to change get nipped in the bud – but only because we’re vigilant.
Category: Veteran Health Care
Why does everyone talk about the HELLthKare bills as if they’re “just” a minor something that needs tweaking to become acceptable to a majority??
When, in fact, THE ENTIRE CURRENT OBUMMER HELLTHKARE DISCUSSION IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!! Look in, and read, the Constitution. There is NOWHERE in there that gives the Federal gov’t a mandate to set up a HELLthKare plan. And the icing on that cake is the Tenth Amendment.
And yes, that INCLUDES Medicare & Medicaid. But for the current time, we’re stuck with them, until we, the people, elect a Congress and President with the klanking steel balls enough to phase them out.
But I’m not holding my breath waiting.
First, let me say there is nothing they can do to this bill (HR3200) in its current form to make me support it. The best thing they could do is to throw it away and start over with real reform, not a remake of the entire system. Next, perhaps that’s why he gave in so easily earlier this year when he wanted to make vets pay for their care with private insurance. How can anyone, with even minimal critical thinking skills, support this crap coming out of DC?
A-friggin’men on the vigilance.
I was going to read the first comment, but then he started adding random Ks.
In seriousness, though, Jonn, do you remember when dental and vision for dependents ended? Because it is pretty jacked up and unique.
AS: Yes, I was teaching ROTC in the wilds of Vermont when it happened. I don’t remember the exact year but it was just before Desert Storm. I also remember that the Delta Dental Insurance didn’t cover “non-essentials” like Novocaine. Imagine telling your kid that they need a cavity filled but they’re not getting Novocaine. So it came out of my pocket before the dentist would give them the shot.
That was also the same year they doubled the co-pays for medical care which impacted those of us who were stationed away from the Army – recruiters, ROTC instructors and the entire 10th Mountain Division.
I’m so scared…seriously Steven Buyer, really???
Have you looked at this guys voting record lately? Just because he’s (somewhat) serving, doesn’t mean he give a shit about veterans. Please go look at his voting record, it’s pathetic!
I pay $35.70 a month for my entire family to receive healthcare coverage by TriWest. I don’t care if I’m supposedly going to have to pay a little more. Which isn’t going to happen anyway.
And when I do go to the VA for my meds I pay nothing for 5 different medications. Not a freakin dime. If they really want to increase that for me, go ahead, I’m not really worried.
It’s not going to happen anyway….Yes, Jonn, it’s a scare tactic.
While Buyer scares the Veteran community with the assistance of the rightwing blogs, where is Buyer, Filner, Akaka, Burr, Skelton, McKeon, Levin or McCain or the so-called Pro-Military talkers and bloggers when it comes to this issue facing our heroes?
“Soldier’s Service Leads to a Custody Battle at Home”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/nyregion/01guard.html?_r=2&hp