Ant & Grasshopper: Old Story, New Moral

based on an email from my sister Paula...

OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. He has a small business that employs 10 bugs of various colors. He provides a living wage and provides as many benefits (health insurance, holidays, sick time) as his business can afford and still have money left to invest and grow his business (so that he can hire more people).

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. He thinks nothing of spending his welfare money on the newest car, the newest phone, the newest game system and is outraged that anyone could expect him to spend money on adequate housing or health insurance.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed as are his employees.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself! Work hard, live within your means, save for a rainy day and your future.

MODERN (Democrats) VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. He has a small business that employs 10 bugs of various colors. He provides a living wage and provides as many benefits (health insurance, holidays, sick time) as his business can afford and still have money left to invest and grow his business (so that he can hire more people).

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. He thinks nothing of spending his welfare money on the newest car, the newest phone, the newest game system and is outraged that anyone could expect him to spend money on adequate housing or health insurance.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed as are his employees.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant and the other hard-working bugs should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food...

America is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We shall overcome." Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight. Mrs. Obama says she has never been proud of the ant's country but likes the grasshopper's country better.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share of the grasshopper's needs (but not his own. The ant is too "rich".)

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and fined for laying off the green bugs he has employed because he can no longer afford the salaries, taxes and health insurance premiums for all, and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his business closes, all the bugs are unemployed, and the ant's home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.

The ant disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found dead from over-consumption, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.

The entire Nation collapses under the debt created by self-serving legislation bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be very careful how you vote in 2010.

Congressperson Ann Kirkpatrick's "Town Hall"

Updated 8/8/09: HERE is video. As you will see from this video, she is in the entryway of a grocery store and the crowd is a bunch of white-haired gents and ladies. When one woman directly asks Rep. Kirkpatrick a question on health care, Kirkpatrick tells her she's not going to answer any questions on that. When the woman tells her that these people all want to know (and the people clap signaling their agreement with the woman), Kirkpatrick simply walks out. So much for the wild, swastika-bearing organized mob... (and kudos to the guy who calls after her, "You're our employee!") And note, these senior citizens don't get "unruly" until she has left.

This is all about the news/gossip reports about how Ann Kirkpatrick's "Town Hall" meeting in Holbrook, AZ was supposedly overrun by a group of organized thugs. Not true... According to people who were there, she simply canceled the event when a crowd showed up. (Transcript here.)

First, I was not AT that "Town Hall" meeting... or at any town hall meeting because -- according to my conversation with Ann Kirkpatrick's office earlier this week -- she is not holding any town hall meetings... just small hand shaking or photo ops. I have been trying (along with a number of other private citizens we know) to get Ann Kirkpatrick to hold a meeting ANYWHERE in the state to answer questions about the president's & congressional health care proposal. She has refused... she and her office telling me OUR representative prefers small "Chats with Ann". (see the list HERE.) No one organized me to call. I didn't receive a robocall encouraging me to call or attend anything. We have attended Town Hall meetings in the past held by Senator McCain and information meetings held by Senator Kyl and the former Congressman... and it was important to us to have the opportunity to ask questions of our ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE.

Rep. Kirkpatrick is limiting her "chats" to areas remote and far off the beaten path -- AND SHE IS HOLDING HER "GET TOGETHERS" IN THE LOCAL GROCERY STORES!!! Her office told me that her only appearance in my area was an invitation only press conference to talk about TARP funds but it was a short visit and there would be no opportunity for questions FROM THE PUBLIC. They did tell me that I could drive the two hours from the most populous town in this county -- where she will NOT meet with constituents -- to attend one of the small gatherings in either Payson, Winslow or Holbrook in one of two neighboring counties... BUT she had no intention of addressing the health care issue at any of them. SHE was coming home to discuss infrastructure projects and public safety (as in fire and police). Note in the transcript referenced above, the woman says of Kirkpatrick, "She didn't want to answer any questions..."

When I asked why she wasn't scheduling any meetings in the immediate Prescott area, her staff informed me that the Congresswoman "already heard enough from the people in the Prescott area and didn't see a reason to meet here." Pardon me?? So I asked the staffer, "You mean because the people of Prescott are informed and communicate regularly, the Congresswoman is penalizing us?" Of course, her answer was, "No, of course not..." After registering my strong disapproval at Ms. Kirkpatrick's lack of communications with her constituents, I asked her staffer to relay a message to my representative: "NO on H.R. 3200!"

Now let's look at Ms. Kirkpatrick's tactics at staying as far away from the maddening crowd while she's home this summer. Holbrook and Winslow are in Navajo County. Payson is in Gila County. Prescott is in Yavapai County. I'm sure the choice of Ms Kirkpatrick's "chats" had nothing at all to do with the fact that Navajo county is 44% registered Democrats to 32% Republican (she won the county) and Gila County is 44% to 36% Democrat/Republican (she won the county) and whereas Yavapai County is 46% Republican to 26% Democrat (she lost the county)? (/sarcasm).

Now you would think that a Congressperson would want to reach as many of her constituents as possible? (Population HERE.) Holbrook has a population of approximately 5,100, Winslow has 9,900 and Payson has 15,500. Prescott (alone) has 42,700; add Prescott Valley and Chino Valley (which border Prescott on either side), there are an additional 38,500 and 11,100, respectively. But Ann, who made exceptionally few campaign appearances in Yavapai County her entire congressional campaign, doesn't feel the need to talk with the people of Prescott or Yavapai?

The whole health care issue is THE topic everyone is talking about and everyone (including me) wants to talk about it... and people everywhere want to talk to their elected (as in YOU WORK FOR US) representatives... and I can't blame people one bit if they showed up at an event that is publicized on their Congressperson's website and where her staff directed people to go... and they get boisterous and perhaps even irate when she DOESN'T SHOW UP AND CANCELS THE EVENT???

Veterans: Can't Catch A Break

Thanks to some mighty good and generous friends from Fort Benning who paid his expenses, Noah is currently away on his first vacation since he was wounded in 2005 and was medically discharged (we won't count his mid-Iraq tour R&R and his 30-day convalescent leave after he was wounded) and hasn't seen his mail in the past 3 days. Really. This poor kid just can't catch a break.

As this recent post illustrates, he has been busting his a$$ since the day he left the Army. He arrived here in AZ on a Friday and began his classes in Fire Science on Monday. He certified as an EMT within 6 months of leaving the service, has completed the basic and advanced Wildfire Academy, completed the seriously rigorous Firefighter Academy, as well as classes in fire codes, inspections, hazardous materials, fire management, business management, and many others. He currently has a 3.85 GPA. He tried to find a job (any job) to supplement his VA disability allowance, but what few jobs were/are available, could not (or would not) accommodate his class schedule -- which is inflexible because the classes in his degree program are offered progressively, i.e., one class is offered one semester and the follow-on class offered the next, then the next. If you opt not to take a class this semester, it's not offered again for 2 or 3 semesters AND you're then ineligible for the follow-on class. Since this degree program is not only geared to those seeking a first-time career, but also to those already working as firefighters and to those working in some other field but wanting to change careers, many of the classes are late afternoon/night classes (longer classes-- fewer days) or every weekend for say 10 weekends.

For the past 18 months, Noah has attended school full time, has almost full time hours as a student intern at the Veterans' Center, PLUS he is a single Dad with custody of his fifteen-month old son. He also attends regular counseling sessions. He has a lot on his plate for a 23 year old. Hell, for a man of any age!

So here's what has come in the mail since he left to relax a few days ago:

Even though Noah has had his son living with him for almost a year, it was considered "informal" because there was no court decree. Prior to his divorce being final, he and his (ex-)wife received a subsidy from the state for child care which enabled her to work full time and Noah to attend school and work. When custody was formally granted to Noah, he went to the Department of Economic Security and asked that the subsidy paper work be put in his name and he gave them a copy of his divorce decree -- only to learn that the State of AZ considered that a whole new application for a subsidy which, because of the budget deficit in this state, are frozen, and his "new" application WAS DENIED. There was no arguing with these people that nothing had changed except the formality of the baby's custody. If Noah wants to keep his son in the licensed child care center, it will cost Noah an additional $400-$500 per month!!

Next, he applied for health insurance through the State because he has no real income and (as I wrote here) he has no health coverage (the VA only covers his service-connected conditions):

Veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who are medically unable to continue in the service but receive less than a 10% disability from their service branch, receive no medical insurance once they separate. For those with service-connected disability ratings of 10 or 20% (ratings are 0% or greater in 10% increments), they receive UP TO 12 months of medical insurance (Tricare) for themselves and their families after separation; for 10% and 20% ratings it is typically 6 months but can be 9 or 12 months depending on the medical condition. If a service member receives a disability rating of 30% or greater from the service branch (a medical retirement), medical insurance for themselves and their families continue at no cost to them FOR LIFE.

Remember: 90% of Soldiers, 83% of Marines, 73% of Airmen and 64% of Sailors who were injured, wounded or became chronically ill while in the service received a disability rating of 20% or less. Unless they were covered by an employer or can afford other insurance within say 6-9 months after their discharge, they and their families have no health insurance coverage.

Although the case worker told Noah that they do not count disability allowances as "income" for purposes of the "how poor are you?" test, they DID, in fact, count his VA disability and -- you guessed it -- his application for health insurance WAS DENIED. (He has already been turned down by other private insurers because he has too many combat-connected injuries/conditions -- and he can't afford those premiums any way!)

Next, Noah had applied through USAA (I'm not even linking them!!) for some life insurance because, well, he is a responsible parent (and a great Dad, I might add), and he wanted to be sure that his son would be provided for if anything were to happen to Noah. Now, USAA is a membership association and the single requirement for membership is that you (or a close family member) are or have been a member of the Armed Forces of the United States of America -- active, Guard, Reserve. Now my DH has been a member since the 60's and our children have been members since they got driver's licenses -- before any of the sons even entered the services. Today he received a letter saying that his application for life insurance WAS DENIED BASED ON HIS HISTORY OF (symptoms associated with) PTSD ??

WHAT THE HELL??!! This country has sent more than 1.7 million men and women to war over the past 8 years and as many as 20% of these men and women will suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress and many of those will develop post-traumatic stress disorder/syndrome. This is a business organization who states its mission is "to facilitate the financial security of its members, associates, and their families through provision of a full range of... products and services;" and "to be the provider of choice for the military community"??? Well, USAA, in this regard you are doing a piss poor job of meeting those needs. Will this be just one more reason NOT to seek treatment for the invisible wounds of war?? I'm trying to figure out how they justify this -- if they're wary of say, suicide, don't most insurance policies limit benefits within 2 years (or some period) or say that benefits won't be paid in the event of suicide??

Golly gee!! I can't wait to see what comes in the mail for him tomorrow!! Seriously, I can't imagine Noah coming home to these things... He just can't seem to catch a break. And I'd venture to say he's not the only young OIF/OEF veteran facing such obstacles. (See HERE, for example.)

Doesn't all this just suck?? As a parent, I am frustrated and angry beyond measure! Already veterans and veterans organizations have had to rant and rail against the new administration to turn them from their proposal of having combat-wounded veterans pay for their care with their own private insurance (if & when they have it). I ask -- as I have asked before -- IS THIS HOW WE TREAT OUR WOUNDED?? IS THIS HOW WE TREAT OUR VETERANS??? Why would any parent now consider encouraging their child to enlist if it means that they will have to fight and claw for any and every benefit they have EARNED or have to fight against discrimination and reprisal for having served their country and been wounded in that endeavor?? Really. Why would anyone volunteer for that??

Do You Know A Veteran in Need of Health Care?

From the Military Officers Association of America:

Fallen on Hard Times? VA May Help With Health Care

2009/01/27 00:00:00

The VA offers an assortment of programs that can relieve health care costs or provide care at no cost to veterans who are struggling financially because of a job loss or decreased income.

Veterans whose previous income was ruled too high for VA health care may be able to enter the VA system based on hardship if their current year's income is projected to fall below federal income thresholds. The fall must be caused by job loss, separation from service, or some other financial setback.

Veterans determined eligible because of hardship can avoid copayments applied to higher-income veterans. Qualifying veterans may be eligible for enrollment and receive health care at no cost.

"With the downturn in the economy, VA recognizes that many veterans will feel the effects," says VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake. "Therefore, it is important that eligible veterans learn of the many ways VA has to help them afford the health care they have earned."

Also eligible for no-cost VA care are most veterans who recently returned from a combat zone. These veterans are entitled to five years of free VA care. The five-year "clock" begins with their discharge from the military, not their departure from a combat zone.

Enrollment coordinators at each VA medical center across the country can provide veterans with information about these programs. Veterans also may contact the VA's Health Benefits Service Center at (877) 222-VETS (8387), or visit the VA’s Health Care Eligibility and Enrollment Web site at www.va.gov/healtheligibility.

Summary of FY09 Defense Authorization Act

Summary of FY09 Defense Authorization Act


Active Duty Issues

- Pay Raise: 3.9% pay raise effective Jan 1, 2009

- End Strength: Army +7K USMC +5K Navy -2.8K USAF -12.5K (did not restore previously proposed cut for USAF, even though SecDef has stated that the planned USAF cut will not be imposed)

- Paternity leave: 10 days authorized for new military fathers, in addition to normal leave

- Maximum reenlistment period: Raised to 8 years vs. 6

- Warrant Officer mandatory retirement: Change to 30 years as WO vs 30 yrs (applies to Army WOs only)

- Sabbatical Program: Authorizes 20 officers and 20 enlisted members per service per year to take up to 3 years off from active duty to pursue personal/professional goals (participants to be paid 2 days’ basic pay per month and keep TRICARE eligibility, but will receive no retirement credit for sabbatical time and will owe 2 months’ active duty upon return for every month of sabbatical)

- Increase in Service Academy Enrollment: Authorizes up to 4,400/yr per academy starting 2008/09 academic year

- Meal Charges in Hospitals: Permanently bans charging hospitalized troops

- Temporary Lodging Expense Allowance: Raises maximum daily amt per family on CONUS PCS from $180 to $290

- Family Separation Allowance: Authorizes payment to both member spouses with dependents if both are assigned remotely

Military Family Issues

- Spouse PCS Weight Allowance: Authorizes 500 lbs for professional items

- Spouse Education: Authorizes programs to help spouses with degrees/credentials/licenses to pursue portable careers

- Impact Aid: Authorizes $35M to assist schools with high proportion of military children, with additional $15M for schools in BRAC/unit movement areas and $5M for schools attended by severely disabled military children

Guard/Reserve Issues

- Education: Requires honorable discharge for Guard/Reserve members to use education benefits resulting from active duty (effective 1/28/08 for members who haven't used any of their entitlement)

- TRICARE Reserve Select Premiums: DoD must recalculate (and presumably reduce) premiums for 2009 and beyond and base them on actual costs for previous year (2009 costs to be based on costs for 2006 + 2007) (GAO previously estimated that Guard/Reserve participants were overcharged by 45%-72%)

- G/R Medical/Dental Readiness: Services may provide free health/dental care to any SelRes/IRR (if subject to involuntary recall) they deem appropriate and may waive dental copays for Guard/Reserve personnel to facilitate/ensure readiness

- Transition TRICARE: DoD may temporarily continue active duty TRICARE coverage for separatees who enter SelRes (continue for 60 days if less than 6YOS; 120 days if 6+YOS)

Health Care Issues

- TRICARE Fees: Bar increases in pharmacy copays or retiree fees for FY09

- Preventive Care:
(1) Waive TRICARE copays/deductibles for beneficiaries under 65 for colorectal/prostate/breast/cervical screening, annual physical, vaccinations and other services authorized by SecDef (those over age 65 to be reimbursed for copays rather than waived due to budget technicality);
(2) establish TRICARE Prime pilot project in three geographic areas to test monetary and nonmonetary incentives to encourage healthy behaviors;
(3) Establish smoking cessation program for all under-65s (refund copays for over-65s);
(4) Test a “preventive health services allowance” payable to up to 1500 active duty members in each service ($500/yr single, $1000 family to purchase preventive services); (5) Authorize SecDef discretion to pursue other innovative programs (e.g., G/R medical/dental readiness and/or stipend for G/R families to continue employer care for families when activated)

- ECHO Payments: Raise TRICARE payment cap for active duty children with special needs from $2500/mo to $36K per year, allowing carryover month-to-month

- ECHO for Retiree Children: Require Sec Def report on providing limited temporary transition coverage upon retirement

Retiree/Survivor Issues

- Concurrent receipt: No provisions

- SBP: Authorize inclusion survivors of members who died on active duty among eligibles for modest new special survivor allowance

Wounded Warrior Issues

- DoD/VA Senior Oversight Committee (SOC): Extend SOC authority for 1 yr, with SecDef report by Aug 31 with recommendation on continuation

- Disability Determinations: Disqualifying condition is to be deemed service-connected unless there is "clear and unmistakable" evidence it existed before service entry and wasn't aggravated by service

- Centers of Excellence: Establish centers for hearing loss/auditory injuries and for traumatic extremity injuries/amputations

- Bonus Treatment: Bars recoupment of any paid amount and requires full repayment of unpaid balance within 90 days for member who dies or is separated/retired for combat-related injury/illness

Other Issues

- Decorations: Requires SecDef to replace decorations on one-time basis upon request by recipient or next of kin

- Salute: Authorizes military/vets not in uniform to salute flag during national anthem

More "HOW WE TREAT OUR WOUNDED"

HEALTH INSURANCE. Many people assume that Veterans receive free health care based solely on their status as Veterans. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let's start by saying that Noah has received the best and most compassionate care imaginable from the two VA Medical Centers at which he has received care since his discharge (except for the truly uncaring imbecile woman who makes his appointments in Phoenix -- but I'll save that for another post.) However, the VA Health Care system has an enrollment "priority" system -- from 50% or greater service-connected disability (Priority Group 1) to Group 8 for "higher income" veterans (income must be less than $36,000 for Vets with 2 dependents... here's the chart). And that's gross income, not net.

However, because so many vets enrolled in the VA system between 1996 (after passage of the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act) and 2002, the VA was ordered in 2003 to stop enrolling Veterans in Group 8 (with it's 4 subcategories). So even people like my husband who was promised "free health care for life" if he made the military a career (he did -- 25 years) and served two deployments to Vietnam but was not wounded, is not eligible for enrollment in the VA Health Care system.

Here's what my research and some new Veterans have told me: Veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who are medically unable to continue in the service but receive less than a 10% disability from their service branch, receive no medical insurance once they separate. For those with service-connected disability ratings of 10 or 20% (ratings are 0% or greater in 10% increments), they receive UP TO 12 months of medical insurance (Tricare) for themselves and their families after separation; for 10% and 20% ratings it is typically 6 months but can be 9 or 12 months depending on the medical condition. If a service member receives a disability rating of 30% or greater from the service branch (a medical retirement), medical insurance for themselves and their families continue at no cost to them FOR LIFE.

Remember: 90% of Soldiers, 83% of Marines, 73% of Airmen and 64% of Sailors who were injured, wounded or became chronically ill while in the service received a disability rating of 20% or less. Unless they were covered by an employer or can afford other insurance within say 6-9 months after their discharge, they and their families have no health insurance coverage.

Here are some (appalling) numbers:

Army soldiers approved for permanent retirement disability (30% or greater rating) in 2001 (2 years BEFORE OIF): 642

Army soldiers approved for permanent retirement disability in 2005 (2 years into OIF): 209 (hmmm... 2/3 less while at war...)

Army soldiers receiving medical discharge (20% disability or less), 2001: 4,544

Army soldiers receiving medical discharge, 2005: 4,468 (hmmm... fewer while at war...)

(wounded and not returned to duty within 72 hours: 7,988 in 2004; 5,598 in '05)

Percentage wounded/injured soldiers receiving disability retirement (30% or greater rating), 2001 (BEFORE OIF): 10%

Percentage wounded/injured soldiers receiving disability retirement, 2005 (2 years into OIF): 3% (hmmm... fewer while at war...)

I know this has been covered (perhaps ad nauseum) in many publications in the past, but in case you hadn't read anything on this (or you forgot), these soldiers are then shifted out of the military medical system and into the VA... keeping in mind that the service branches only are required by law to compensate a member for the single condition (or combination of conditions) that make him unable to continue his military service, while the VA is mandated to compensate all injuries and conditions which were received during military service.

Note that annuities paid by the services (DoD) for medically retired individuals are charged to the services; "moving" a disabled member to the VA system shifts the financial burden to the VA. For example, we know of one Veteran who received a "does not meet retention standards" but a 0% rating from the Army for his burns and injuries received in a tank fire; the VA rated that same condition at 40%. Another Veteran was determined fit for duty even after a serious shrapnel wound to his thigh that his Navy physician determined should make him unfit and which the VA rated after his end-of-service discharge at 30%. Another veteran received a 10% disability rating from the Army for severe PTSD, and the VA rated that condition at 50% disability. The two soldiers medically discharged received the exact same lump sum severance payment when they left the Army (which both are reimbursing from their VA benefits) and none of these soldiers now has health insurance. (I know that now the military services and the VA are supposed to be using the same schedules and interpretations of those schedules, but that doesn't help previously discharged Wounded Warriors.)

Veterans can enroll for temporary health care coverage under the "Continued Health Care Benefit Plan" within 60 days of losing their military health care -- at a cost for family coverage of $665 per month -- a little out of reach if you're trying to go to school full time on the GI Bill AND the government is taking 50% of your VA disability benefit (for the next 17 months!!) to pay back the Army (or Marines, Navy, AF or CG) -- even if your wife went back to work three weeks after the birth of your child to help pay bills (you know -- things like rent, food, gas, utilities...)

As Noah quickly discovered, there is some less expensive health care insurance ("less expensive" being a relative term when you have no money), but when he put in an application with an insurance agent, the agent said, "Let me get this straight: you were wounded in combat and have shrapnel in your skull and chest, you had a neck and spinal injury, a fractured elbow, you have a torn ACL in one knee, a possible torn rotator cuff, traumatic brain injury, lost a portion of your hearing in both ears, have tinnitus -- not to mention PTSD... and you want US to insure YOU?"

Noah assured him that the VA would cover his service-connected conditions (he's Priority 1)... but the agent told him that his company already had millions of claims in dispute with the VA and wasn't interested in more. (I should also point out that the VA has many, many millions of dollars of claims for non-service connected medical services provided to individuals in VA facilities for which they are awaiting reimbursement from Veterans' insurance companies as well.) Noah has been unable to find health insurance and, as of last week, he, his wife and their 2 month old son have no health insurance. (Please do not give me, "This is why we need socialized/socialist health insurance." We only need figure out how to insure the less than 10% of Americans who lack insurance.)

According to this Harvard Medical School Study, there are 1.6 million American Veterans and family members who lack health insurance. That is about 12% of the approximately 47 million uninsured in America. (Now I'll caution that the study and report were authored by a physician who is pushing for the socialist system of national health care, but I don't doubt the empirical numbers.)

The Dole-Shalala Commission recommended that all combat-wounded service members retain their insurance but I believe the legislation proposed as a result of that Commission's recommendations (the legislation that everyone made a big deal about in October but doesn't exist on paper apparently since no one can seem to provide a copy for review...) went further and recommended that all service members medically discharged from the service retain their insurance

If they continued Tricare for those medically discharged and assuming that if only half of those medically discharged from 2000 to 2006 lack medical insurance there would be at least 33,000 fewer uninsured Veterans and perhaps another 33,000 family members. I don't completely disagree with the VA priority system -- after all, there has to be some way to manage limited resources (on the other hand, perhaps we should be building MORE facilities and not restricting access to any Veteran??!!) That being said, Veterans -- who served this country and her citizens in war or peace -- who cannot afford or cannot acquire medical insurance for themselves and their families should be covered by either Tricare or the VA.

MEDICAL INSURANCE SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR THOSE MEDICALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE SERVICE AND THEIR FAMILIES -- AT THE VERY LEAST IT SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR THOSE WOUNDED IN COMBAT. EVERY VETERAN IN AMERICA SHOULD HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE OR ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. IT IS THE LEAST OF WHAT WE OWE THEM.

P.S. I have wondered recently why our government doesn't sell "Veterans Bonds" like our government used to sell "War Bonds" (and like the Savings Bond Program). I can't think of a person (or politician -- since those groups are occasionally mutually exclusive) who wouldn't buy them to support our Veterans (if you wouldn't -- you need to consider another country of residency... really). I'd like to do my part to assure that our Veterans' needs are met forever and are not held hostage to the budgeting processes of Washington or the threats or whims and flops (as in flip-flop) of "say one thing, do another" politicians. I'd like to be sure that no other agency could EVER touch the money we as citizens commit to our Veterans... until we have no more Veterans that need care. If there is a law that forbids it, the law should be changed.