Dear President Obama,
I read somewhere that you were going to be overhauling the Social Security system, it certainly needs it. While you are at it, could you possibly overhaul the Veteran’s Affairs department? Since I am a female service connected, US Army Vietnam Era Veteran, I have had all kinds of problems with receiving medical treatment and I have fought with Veterans Affairs for 35 years in trying to get the same treatment as the male veterans. I could tell you many of my stories but it would turn into a book. Please make it better for all of us female veterans who have honorably served this country. Health care for women still is not equal to the health care that the male veterans receive.
I just had a bad experience with the VA system here in Ohio. I was real sick. So I drove 3 hours to the VA Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The hospital and personnel there are great and very caring. The emergency room doctor gave me a referral for Primary Care to the Veterans clinic in Columbus, Ohio, since I only live 55 miles from there.
I spent 2 days and around 2 hours each time, on the phone with the Cincinnati VA and the Columbus VA Clinic. I could not get anything accomplished as far as trying to find out about my referral from the VA doc in Cincinnati. He referred me to the Columbus VA clinic. I did find out that someone at the Columbus VA sent the referral back to Cincinnati VA. I don’t know why and can’t seem to find out why. So, it looks like I will have to go back to the Cincinnati VA and try again to have the referral sent to the Columbus VA. It makes no sense for the Columbus VA to send the referral back to Cincinnati when I live so close to the Columbus VA. I personally think the Columbus VA is screwed up. I think the right hand (Cincinnati VA) does not know what the left hand (Columbus VA) is doing. They need to get their communication together better.
I have more stories to tell but I will wait until later.
Please, please, please President Obama, please overhaul the Veterans Affairs like you are going to do with Social Security.
Sincerely,
Sandy
As if the Walter Reed scandal weren't enough. According to The Army Times, two major veterans' groups claim that the Pentagon's personnel chief has deliberately and systematically withheld benefits from wounded service members by redefining which injuries qualify as "combat related." Here's the article: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/military_veteransletter_defensedepartment_082908w/
The groups, Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, cite a DOD memo that defines "combat related" for the purposes of the new severance pay waiver as limited only to those injured in a combat zone in the line of duty or as a direct result of armed conflict. In laymen's terms--if you receive a check upon separating from the military and then are later deemed eligible for veterans' health benefits, you might have to repay the first amount before you can start collecting the second if your injuries are not deemed "combat related." This may, quite simply, be impossible for a number of our veterans.
Although less reported in the media, the number of troops seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan far exceed the number killed. Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, and huge advances in battlefield triage, we are saving soldiers who might never have made it home in previous wars. This is good news, but it creates even greater demands on our veterans' health care and benefits system.
It would appear that DOD is trying to trim the ranks of those eligible for benefits in the face of a growing budget crisis stemming from providing care to our wounded warriors. This is unconscionable. If our nation decides to send our troops to war, then it must be prepared to take care of those injured in the line of duty. And guess what, John McCain is on record suggested that it might be necessary to such "rationing"of veterans' health care.
Barack Obama is firmly committed to improving the quality of health care for our veterans and rebuilding the VA's benefits system. That's on top of his efforts to combat homelessness among veterans and offer a real Veterans' GI Bill.
"Eight is Enough!" Vote for change, Vote Obama/Biden!!!
[PennsylvaniaVeteransforObama] Facts on McCain non-support for Veterans CANDIDATES’ SUPPORT FOR VETERANS’ ISSUES
Who has veterans’ best interests in mind? Look at the candidates’ records:
Although no bills specifically on veterans’ issues were voted on since the 2004 elections, three amendments have been (source: the Congressional Record & votesmart.org): Health Care for Veterans Amendment 10/05/2005 Official title: S Amdt 1937 to HR 2863 - To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. Synopsis: Vote on a motion to waive the Budget Act to allow for adoption of an amendment that increases funding for the Veterans Health Administration in order to account for inflation and changes in the number of veterans using the health services. Voting record: Obama – Yes McCain – No (Amendment rejected in Senate)
Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment 11/17/2005 Official title: S Amdt 2634 to S 2020 - To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Synopsis: Vote on a motion to waive the Budget Act in order to adopt an amendment that appropriates $500 million annually from 2006-2010 for counseling, mental health, and rehabilitation services for veterans diagnosed with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance abuse. Voting record: Obama – Yes McCain – No (Amendment rejected)
Tax Rate Extension Amendment 02/02/2006 Official title: S Amdt 2735 to S Amdt 2707 to HR 4297 - To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. Synopsis: Vote on a motion to waive the Budget Act to allow for adoption of an amendment that increases funding for the Veterans Health Administration in order to account for inflation and changes in the number of veterans using the health services. Voting record: Obama – Yes McCain – No (Amendment failed to pass in Senate)
Now, let’s turn to the candidates’ sponsorship of Senate bills & amendments directly related to care for veterans during the 109th-110th Congresses (source: Library of Congress THOMAS database [thomas.loc.gov]): Obama (10): S.117 [110th] & S.3988 [109th] :
A bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for members of the Armed Forces, veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, and other veterans, to require reports on the effects of the Global War on Terrorism, and for other purposes. S.692 [110th] & S.2358 [109th]
: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Veterans Affairs hospitals. S.713 [110th]
: A bill to ensure dignity in care for members of the Armed Forces recovering from injuries. S.1084 [110th] & S.3475 [109th] : A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans. S.1271 [110th] : A bill to provide for a comprehensive national research effort on the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families. S.1885 [110th] :
A bill to provide certain employment protections for family members who are caring for members of the Armed Forces recovering from illnesses and injuries incurred on active duty. S.2330 [110th] : A bill to authorize a pilot program within the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development with the goal of preventing at-risk veterans and veteran families from falling into homelessness, and for other purposes. S.1180 [109th]
: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize various programs servicing the needs of homeless veterans for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, and for other purposes. S.AMDT.3144 to S.CON.RES.83 [109th] : To provide a $40 million increase in FY 2007 for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and to improve job services for hard-to-place veterans. S.AMDT.5138 to H.R.5385 [109th] : To require a report on the costs of the Comprehensive Service Programs for homeless veterans. McCain (1): S.663 [110th] : A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the statutory designation of beneficiaries of the $100,000 death gratuity under section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, and to permit members of the Armed Forces to designate in writing their beneficiaries of choice in the event of their death while serving on active duty.
The bottom line: McCain is clearly not an advocate for veterans’ issues, and only Obama has enough interest to be a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee.
