Obama Wants To Charge Wounded Warriors For Medical Treatment

Monday, March 16, 2009

Obama Wants To Charge Wounded Warriors For Medical Treatment

This is absoutely beyond the pale.

Currently, our wounded warriors get care free of charge the Veteran's Administration. The Chosen One wants them to pay for it themselves and go through their own private health care:

"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!"


Commander Rehbein was among a group of senior officials from veterans service organizations joining the President, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and Steven Kosiak, the overseer of defense spending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The group's early afternoon conversation at The White House was precipitated by a letter of protest presented to the President earlier this month. The letter, co-signed by Commander Rehbein and the heads of ten colleague organizations, read, in part, "
There is simply no logical explanation for billing a veteran's personal insurance for care that the VA has a responsibility to provide. While we understand the fiscal difficulties this country faces right now, placing the burden of those fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country is unconscionable." {....)

The proposed requirement for these companies to reimburse the VA would not only be unfair,says the Legion, but would have an adverse impact on service-connected disabled veterans and their families. The Legion argues that, depending on the severity of the medical conditions involved, maximum insurance coverage limits could be reached through treatment of the veteran's condition alone. That would leave the rest of the family without health care benefits. The Legion also points out that many health insurance companies require deductibles to be paid before any benefits are covered.Additionally, the Legion is concerned that private insurance premiums would be elevated to cover service-connected disabled veterans and their families, especially if the veterans are self-employed or employed in small businesses unable to negotiate more favorable across-the-board insurance policy pricing. The American Legion also believes that some employers, especially small businesses, would be reluctant to hire veterans with service-connected disabilities due to the negative impact their employment might have on obtaining and financing company health care benefits.

Unconscionable is a polite word for it. If the Administration realy had a desperate need to save half a billion dollars after all the money it's throwing around to its political allies, why do it on the backs of our wounded warriors? Why couldn't ACORN have been cut back a bit from the $4.5 billion they got from Obama's stimulus program?

The truth is, to somebody like President Obama, shoveling bucks at people like ACORN who are willing to commit voter fraud to help him get re-elected is probably a lot higher priority than keeping a promise to our military..most of whom didn't vote for him anyway. 

Meanwhile President Barack Hussein Obama, his family, and his pals in Congress get the best medical care available, at no charge.

Perhaps the current occupant of the White is planning on putting that money towards that domestic security forcehe keeps talking about..as he downgrades our professional military.

The mask is coming off....and what's underneath is pretty disturbing.

Another Bank Plays Games With Bailout Funds

This time it's Chicago-based Northern Trust:

Another bank with bailout money is partying all the way to the banquet.

Chicago-based Northern Trust was blasted Tuesday for accepting $1.6 billion in taxpayer dollars last November and spending big bucks hosting lavish events with A-list entertainers in Los Angeles last week.

Sheryl Crow, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire played at three private, bank-sponsored bashes as clients and employees dined on seared salmon, Angus fillet and black truffle cheese, reported TMZ.com.

Guests flown in for the Northern Trust Open golf tournament enjoyed deluxe accommodations at posh hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton and Beverly Wilshire. Gift bags included blue Tiffany & Co. boxes with white bows.

Now that rings a bell...Northern Trust, Northern Trust...oh, yeah...that's where Obama got his below market loan on the mansion Tony Rezco helped him buy:

The freshman Democratic senator received a discount. He locked in an interest rate of 5.625 percent on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, below the average for such loans at the time in Chicago. The loan was unusually large, known in banker lingo as a "super super jumbo." Obama paid no origination fee or discount points. {..}

The Obama campaign called the rate "consistent with Northern Trust policies, and it reflected the base rate set for that period discounted to address the competition for the account and other opportunities, such as personal financial services, that the relationship would bring to Northern Trust."

Hmmm...Obama bought the place well below market price at the height of the real estate boom for for about $1.6 million, so the loan was likely about $1.28 million or so after the Obama's down payment.

Over a billion and a half in taxpayer bailout funds in exchange for a $1.28 million discounted sweetheart loan..not a bad investment, if I say so myself.

I suppose that was a piece of what those 'other opportunities' for Northern Trust added up to.