“Free” Medical Care For Everyone Except…

Some news stories are so strange that it’s hard to believe you’re reading them correctly. This is an example: the Obama administration has a plan to save $540 million by shifting the cost of medical care for service personnel injured in the line of duty from the Veterans’ Administration to private insurance companies. Today, Obama tried to explain this bizarre proposal to the American Legion:

The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization says he is “deeply disappointed and concerned” after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases.

“It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan,” said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. “He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it.”

The Commander, clearly angered as he emerged from the session said, “This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate ‘to care for him who shall have borne the battle’ given that the United States government sent members of the armed forces into harm’s way, and not private insurance companies. I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need of America’s veterans!”

There was a time when an American President would worry about incurring the wrath of the American Legion. That time is probably gone, but still: the Obama administration is trying to socialize medical care. It wants the government to pay for everyone’s health care, except–unbelievably–the care of veterans who were wounded in battle while serving their country. Can this be possible? Can even the Obama administration be so perverse? As I say, this is one of those news stories that make you wonder whether you read them correctly.

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