[Vision2020] Deficit Cuts May Claim Veterans' Health Care

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (February 28, 2006) Spokesman Review -

"At least tens of thousands of veterans with noncritical medical issues
could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President
Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half - if the White House
is serious about its proposed budget."

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Andrew Taylor 
Associated Press
February 28, 2006

WASHINGTON - At least tens of thousands of veterans with noncritical medical
issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable
President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half - if the
White House is serious about its proposed budget.

After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends
on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans
has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a
cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.

In fact, the proposed cuts appear so draconian that it seems to some that
the White House is simply making them up to make its long-term deficit
figures look better. More realistic numbers, however, would raise doubts as
to whether Bush can keep his promise to wrestle the deficit under control by
the time he leaves office.

"Either the administration is proposing gutting VA health care over the next
five years or it is not serious about it's own budget," said Rep. Chet
Edwards of Texas, top Democrat on the panel overseeing the VA's budget. "If
the proposals aren't serious, then that would undermine the administration's
argument that they intend to reduce the deficit in half over the next
several years."

In fact, the White House doesn't seem serious about the numbers. It says the
long-term budget numbers don't represent actual administration policies.
Similar cuts assumed in earlier budgets have been reversed.

"The country can meet the goal of cutting the deficit in half and still
invest in key programs for vulnerable Americans, and claims to the contrary
aren't supported by the facts of recent budget history," said White House
budget office spokesman Scott Milburn. 

The veterans' medical care cuts would come even though more and more people
are trying to enter the system and as the number of people wounded in Iraq
keeps rising. Even though Iraq war veterans represent only about 2 percent
of the Veterans Administration's patient caseload, many are returning from
battle with grievous injuries requiring costly care.

The White House budget office, however, assumes that the veterans' medical
services budget - up 69 percent since Bush took office and which would rise
by 11 percent next year under Bush's budget - can absorb cuts for three
years in a row after that.

The administration insists it makes spending policies one year at a time and
that the long-term veterans' budget figures are therefore subject to change.

Even with recent funding increases, cost-cutting moves have locked more than
a quarter million veterans out of the system. Those excluded have no
illnesses or injuries attributable to their military service and earn more
than the average wage in their community.

In Bush's proposal to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term, he's
assuming spending on domestic agency operating budgets can be frozen over
the next few years.

"Each year the budget numbers go up," said Jeff Schrade, spokesman for
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Larry Craig, R-Idaho.
"Speculation beyond 2007's budget is, at this point, just speculation."

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Impeach Bush NOW!

Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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"In America, anybody can become president.  
That's one of the risks you take . . ."

- Adlai Stevenson

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