Military Amputee Seeks Wounded Financing

[Rose Siding]

snip>
In the past month, Kelly and an advocacy group for veterans have persuaded several lawmakers to support the idea of creating a self-financed insurance plan that would award $50,000 to severely disabled soldiers before Veterans Affairs' benefits kick in. The federal money can take a year or more to get to recipients.
...
The idea of allow those in the military to buy a new kind of disability insurance for a low monthly fee is supported by Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz. He said he plans to introduce legislation that would make that happen.
...
Soldiers would pay about $3 per month, deducted from their pay, to qualify for a $50,000 payment in the event of a major injury in combat or training related to combat....

"It doesn't cost taxpayers a penny, it pays for itself and it benefits soldiers. Where is there a fault in that?" Kelly said.

Stephen Wurtz, deputy assistant director for insurance for the VA, said the estimate of 1,000 severely disabled soldiers per year qualifying for the payment was "within the ballpark."

Renzi said he is not sure the $3 figure is enough....

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-aiding-the-wounded,0,1082353.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

We're having a war and you're invited. BYOI. bring your own insurance

[Ilsa]

1. Not a bad idea.

Especially for those cases where soldiers really do need to go to war.

[oasis]

2. "Bring your own insurance". That's something for all to think about.

[Bozita]

5. Yup, part of the 'personal responsibility' thing

Be sure to attach your BC/BS card to your dogtags.

[diamond14]

3. more B.S. from bush*....this will just DELAY EVEN MORE any benefits

who are these so-called 'advocates' for Veterans....if bush* gets this crap, then it will relieve the pressure on Congress and on bush* to adequately FUND the Veteran's Hospitals and Programs....which they have already SLASHED to hardly nothing....


under this approach, bush* will DELAY benefits even more, rather than STOP THESE DELAYS....bush* hopes that returning Vets will be KILLED from their injuries during an extended waiting time with NO Medical/mental health care...or commit suicide..or disappear into the homeless Vets laying on the streets all over America....the DELAYs mean that bush* pays NOTHING and VA saves money....

bush* war-on-the-cheap means MORE MONEY FOR WAR-PROFITEERS....bush* makes great efforts to keep that CANNON FODDER coming at low-low expense.....

[Rose Siding]

7. I took a cursory look at Renzi and Hayworth's business interests.

-the two enthusiastic congressmen mentioned. Renzi made his money on insurance company start ups and Hayworth lists "insurance agent" as a previous occupation. Coincidental, huh?

How dare they consider having enlisted personnel bear all the administrative costs of a new program (private, I suspect) rather than fixing an inadequate system of benefits?

Just when you're not sure if they can even stun you anymore...*smack*

[icymist]

4. I Hate to rain on your parade.

~Sigh~ Insurance Companies have the notorious record of doing everything and anything to get away from paying for a claim. I think we, as a people could do so much better.

[whistle]

6. So, take the 145,000 combat troops deployed to Iraq for nine...

...months, each paying $3.00 per month while there since October 2002 (Bush began build-up of troops six months prior to invasion) so that would have been $435,000 per month paid by troops into an insurance fund for 30 months now, for a total of $13,050,000 with a payout of $50,000 for each severally wounded and disabled veteran, the fund would have been there for only 261 veterans. However, starting now these people are SOL!

I heard that there have been over 10,000 such disabled veterans due to the Iraq/Afghanistan wars who have been waiting months and months for their first check from the veterans administration. This sounds like another republican scam to me. Just get the administration to pay up what is owed and stop the delays and out-right harassment. Besides private insurers would create even more red tape and delays.

[VegasWolf]

8. Why does bush hate the disabled military? n/t

[Pinboy]

9. Troops don't need new self-insurance . . .

What is outrageous is that they STILL are unable to get their disability payments without months of delay.

I saw reports 8 months ago that the government was getting the delays down to TWO MONTHS in SOME cases. That is not good enough.

In this computer age, there is no excuse for not being able to issue virtually IMMEDIATE disability payments. There is no reason our disabled troops and their families who are making the sacrifices should bear further financial hardship.

[BR_Parkway]

10. If they can get Bechtel or Halliburton their $$$ every invoice, then they

can damn sure they get our troops paid, on time and within days/weeks. These people have given up something way beyond their time and effort and deserve to be treated right. If the whole BS delay is to prevent fraud, I'd rather they started the payments this month for anyone claiming it, documentation shouldn't be that difficult to come by - and if someone does get money they shouldn't have, they can garnish their paychecks, withhold tax refunds, and bring the full force of the IRS to get it back. This is bullshit, pure and simple and the idiot congressmen sponsoring it should get off their stupid asses and start beating down doors to find out why these delays.

[Rose Siding]

12. Those congressmen are in the insurance business

Rezni-

http://www.rickrenzi.com/about/

Rick went on to create two more successful Arizona businesses, including an insurance company designed to help non-profit organizations. This company insures the majority of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA's) and Domestic Violence and Abuse Centers throughout Arizona. Today, the family business insures almost all the Crisis Pregnancy Centers in America and Canada.

And Hayworth lists 'insurance agent' under professional experience on his profile-

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=CNIP8156

[Rose Siding]

11. Must be a big push- this is all over the place tomorrow

Dozens of outlets are carrying the same story.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&tab=nn&ie=UTF-8&ncl=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory%3Fid%3D496123&filter=0&start=0&sa=N