# Is Obama playing politics with Veterans Affairs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 17, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758 "2009-03-17T15:30:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/1 "2009-03-17T15:30:41Z")
[What is Obama doing to the VA?](http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion_strongly_opposed_to_president_s_plan_to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment) What is going on here? Is he using the VA as a political football to push through universal healthcare? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/2 "2009-03-17T15:39:04Z")
Yeah, I gotta be honest … I’m baffled by this one. I don’t see how this is good idea, either in practice or in politics. ---
**Author:** ![LunaticFringette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@LunaticFringette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunaticFringette)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/3 "2009-03-17T17:51:04Z")
This is a disappointing disconnect from the “Sacred Trust”. [http://www.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/](http://www.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/4 "2009-03-17T18:02:09Z")
Obama is wrong on this one. My bet: he will be told he is wrong, he will listen, and he will change his mind. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/5 "2009-03-17T18:03:51Z")
(As a passing thought, I wonder if that might not be the whole point of the exercise? To be wrong, to be persuaded, and to publicly change position upon persuasion. Would make for a refreshing change from whats-his-face…) ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/6 "2009-03-17T18:20:56Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > (As a passing thought, I wonder if that might not be the whole point of the exercise? To be wrong, to be persuaded, and to publicly change position upon persuasion. Would make for a refreshing change from whats-his-face…) Yeah, but you don’t do that with something as third rail as disabled vets. This is a bizarrely bad idea. It’s so bad, one wonders if we have heard the other side.Has the WH given any defense or even rationale for this proposal? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/7 "2009-03-17T18:23:28Z")
This makes no sense to me. I can’t imagine too many ppl being OK with charging those we had put in harm’s way for their care, even if Obama is, and he’s smart enough to know this. Is he for charging the wounded veterans, or just the private insurance of those who have it? Does this mean that, should they not have private insurance coverage, they would then have their care covered by the VA? Even that could have negative consequences for individuals, as care for the wounded vet might use up the maximum insurance coverage for the entire family (as pointed out in the article). There is more to this. I agree that this is a waypoint on the road to introducing health care coverage reform. I’m not sure what part this will play, or exactly how we will got from A to B via this route, but I imagine time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/8 "2009-03-17T18:40:29Z")
He’s not actually charging the veterans for treatment. He’s just consolidating the paperwork trail. Currently, treatment for military injuries are payed for by the DVA. Other health problems (not related to military) aren’t covered. The veteran would require private insurance for this. The problem with this is that the person is now covered by two policies. Which one does the hospital charge for a particular treatment? So Obama is proposing that everything gets sent to the private insurer. The private insurer would then settle with the DVA. But the hospital would only have to deal with a single insurer. It would have zero effect on the benefits from the veteran’s point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/9 "2009-03-17T18:42:34Z")
If that’s the case, then someone needs to slap a prettier coat of paint on this puppy, because on the surface it sounds asinine. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/10 "2009-03-17T18:55:41Z")
Makes a boatload of sense, though. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/11 "2009-03-17T19:14:38Z")
> [@](#): > > If that’s the case, then someone needs to slap a prettier coat of paint on this puppy, because on the surface it sounds asinine. The headline sounds asinine, but it’s clear from the first few sentences of the article that the headline is just plain wrong. I don’t think a president should have to consider all of the ways a headline can lie about a policy before putting it into place, because for any policy, you can construct a headline that makes it look monstrous, especially if you’re criticising something the policy doesn’t actually do. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/12 "2009-03-17T19:16:24Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > If that’s the case, then someone needs to slap a prettier coat of paint on this puppy, because on the surface it sounds asinine. At some point people need to take personal responsibility for taking stories like this and twisting them for political gain. If you do it out of stupidity, then just shut-up. If you do it out of malice then someone needs to remove your soap box. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/13 "2009-03-17T19:27:38Z")
No. The soapbox is sacred, even when used to spread lies and bullshit. Stand up and speak the truth, as best you know it. The tough part is when the other guy owns the soap box. But who ever said any of this was gonna be easy, and neat? Struggling for money and power is kinda ugly, such is its nature. But a free and open democracy is the best way to do ugly stuff. Besides, once we put them to the Wall, they’ll most likely shut up… ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/14 "2009-03-17T19:37:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The headline sounds asinine, but it’s clear from the first few sentences of the article that the headline is just plain wrong. We should keep in mind that the linked story isn’t actually an article from a news organization. It is a press release from the American Legion. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/15 "2009-03-17T20:20:34Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > He’s not actually charging the veterans for treatment. > > He’s just consolidating the paperwork trail. Currently, treatment for military injuries are payed for by the DVA. Other health problems (not related to military) aren’t covered. The veteran would require private insurance for this. > […] This sounds considerably less retarded than I originally feared but I’m fuzzy on how the government makes $540 million by doing this. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/16 "2009-03-17T20:27:21Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Is he using the VA as a political football to push through universal healthcare? If he is, more power to him. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/17 "2009-03-17T20:28:55Z")
> [@](#): > > This sounds considerably less retarded than I originally feared but I’m fuzzy on how the government makes $540 million by doing this. Presumably, this method would be simpler to implement, and so would require less bureacracy. All those bureacrats’ salaries cost money, after all. Not being a government bureacrat, I don’t know the details. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/18 "2009-03-17T21:23:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > No. The soapbox is sacred, even when used to spread lies and bullshit. Stand up and speak the truth, as best you know it. The tough part is when the other guy owns the soap box. But who ever said any of this was gonna be easy, and neat? Struggling for money and power is kinda ugly, such is its nature. But a free and open democracy is the best way to do ugly stuff. > > Besides, once we put them to the Wall, they’ll most likely shut up… You are right. What I meant to say is that elected offcicial who spread complete non-sense should not be re-elected, and people should turn the dial away from talk radio hosts who spread complete bullshit. Beck and O’Reilly have the two highest rated shows and will continue to do this crap as long as they have viewers. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/19 "2009-03-17T21:28:02Z")
Beck does for batshit what Stonehenge does for rocks. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758/20 "2009-03-17T21:40:04Z")
He wants to put military benefits into the private sector and then I bet he nationalizes private sector insurance. Nationalizing AIG would be the perfect way to do this. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-playing-politics-with-veterans-affairs/489758.md?page=2)