This article cites a plan by the Obama administration to force private insurers to pay for veterans' combat and service-related injuries.
So, as I understand it, if a veteran has private insurance, the VA won't pay for the treatment of their service-related injuries... their private insurers will.
Which, of course, will allow the insurers to jack up the premiums for these veterans, unless explicitly prevented by legislation -- in which case they'll probably jack up the premiums for everybody.
This is a real "What the hell?" moment for me. What possible good could this serve, politically and practically, besides saving the VA $540 million (chump change in terms of government spending).
This proposal is getting criticism from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, Democrats and Republicans. What kind of idea is this?
I really hope this doesn't get enacted, for the sake of our veterans' health care. And for that matter, President Obama's political capital to get good things done in Washington.