Thursday, 18 October 2007

President Bush Announces New Plan For Veteran’s Healthcare

This week, President George W. Bush announced the overhaul of the healthcare system for veterans returning home from duty. The president’s announcement comes after he created a bipartisan commission to analyze the current care system for veterans, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Bush’s proposal will improve the quality of care for injured veterans, and create more thorough health screenings and evaluations. One requirement will be that all who receive care at a Veterans Affairs hospital will automatically be checked for post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It’s an old system, it’s an antiquated system, it’s an outdated system that needs to be changed,” said President Bush.

Under the proposal, veterans who cannot return to active duty because of their injuries will receive pensions. The Department of Veterans Affairs will provide the care, not the Pentagon.

The proposal would improve the system to provide much more comprehensive healthcare for veterans. One key recommendation from the veterans’ care commission includes assigning “recovery coordinators,” who would be responsible for helping injured servicemen and women with federal paperwork. They also proposed veterans’ health should be reassessed every three years.

In addition to healthcare, the plan will give more support for families. Payments will be given to cover losses from potential earnings, spouses and family members may be allowed up to six months unpaid leave if a soldier is seriously injured, and seriously wounded veterans may be eligible for up to 40 hours of in-home care per week.

The total cost of the new veteran’s care program will be over $30 billion per year — slightly more expensive than the old system. Some parts of this proposal can be directly implemented by the White House. Other provisions must be sent to Congress for approval.

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