Vet groups like VA budget, hate fee hikes - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Vet groups like VA budget, hate fee hikes

Major veterans’ groups have mixed reactions to the fiscal 2008 Department of Veterans Affairs budget request unveiled Monday by the Bush administration.

They are generally pleased by the $87 billion proposal, especially because it includes money for long-delayed hospital construction and increases funding for mental health programs.

The groups are not pleased, however, that the administration persists in proposing new or higher fees for some veterans to use the health care system.

Paul Morin, national commander of the American Legion, said the administration’s proposal to almost double prescription drug co-payments and then charge enrollment fees of up to $750 for priority category 7 and 8 veterans “is an insult to veterans turning to VA for promised care.”

“The president’s co-payment and enrollment fee proposals are deliberately designed to force thousands of veterans out of the VA health care system,” said Bradley Barton, national commander of Disabled American Veterans. “Because of chronic funding shortfalls, many veterans wait longer for medical appointments, and VA hospitals are prevented from hiring additional nurses and other health care professionals to meet the growing demand for services and are forced to ration care.”

Gary Kurpius, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars said the VFW is generally pleased with the budget plan, but added: “We remain adamantly opposed to the prescription co-payment increase and enrollment fees. Veterans should not have to pay for health care they earned.”

Morin said the Legion “is pleased with proposed increases in funding and additional personnel to address the backlog of [benefits] claims as well as VA’s ability to meet the mental health care needs of America’s veterans. VA must be capable of meeting the increasing demand for mental health care services.”

The $34.2 billion health care budget, which includes the assumption of $2.3 billion in payments from third-party insurers, is less than the $36 billion sought by veterans’ groups.

Barton said the administration’s commitment to reducing the backlog of claims does not address the potential problem from recently enacted legislation that allows attorneys to represent veterans in the claims process, a change that some say could end up adding to the backlog.