AIMLESSLY UNBALANCED

America's Veterans are under the gun of America's politicians not wanting to pay for spiraling health care costs due to extra deployments in war zones. It seems our politicians feel our veterans should be paying more for their war torn wounds.

Pictured is Tammy Duckworth , who lost her pieces parts in Iraq. She is an example of our modern day veterans who are costing our politicians an arm and a few legs in the polls and feel these Damn veterans should be paying more out of their own pocket for their own personal wound care since (afterall) it IS their wounds (and not ours).

Keep in mind , these American politicians (who are doing the bitching about this) have always received free health care and none of them have ever complained how much they cost this country. Hmmmmm. Maybe our politicians feel that free health care is intended just for them. Afterall , they are rather special , are'nt they? And none of them have ever complained about sending someone else to fight a war in some God forsaken country , have they?


Maybe our politicians should start fighting their own wars and then they would have their very own personal war wounds to show off and care for. Just think of the money they would save US. Just think of the sorrow and grief they would save so many families over their loved ones.

Since our Veterans are costing them so much these days , then they should shut down their wars , don't you think?

I stole this from USA TODAY today.

The surging costs are prompting the Pentagon and Congress to consider the first hike in out-of-pocket fees for military retirees and some active-duty families in 15 years, said Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of TRICARE, the military health care program.

Pentagon spending on health care has increased from $19 billion in 2001 to a projected $50.7 billion in 2011, a 167% increase.

The rapid rise has been driven by a surge in mental health and physical problems for troops who have deployed to war multiple times and by a flood of career military retirees fleeing less-generous civilian health programs, Hunter said.

Total U.S. spending on health care has climbed from nearly $1.5 trillion in 2001 to an estimated $2.7 trillion next year, an 84% increase.

As a share of overall defense spending, health care costs have risen from 6% to 9% and will keep growing, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kathleen Kesler, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

That upward trend is "beginning to eat us alive," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress in February.

In addition to mental issues, multiple combat tours have created more strains on joints, backs and legs, Pentagon statistics show. Medical visits for such problems rose from 2.8 million in 2005 to 3.7 million in 2009.

Behavioral-health counseling sessions for troops and family members rose 65% since 2004. The Pentagon paid for 7.3 million visits last year — treatment of 140,000 patients each week, according to TRICARE numbers.

Other factors driving up costs:

• Many new patients are children suffering anxiety or depression because of a parent away at war. Children had 42% more counseling sessions last year than in 2005, TRICARE numbers show.

• The number of TRICARE beneficiaries has grown by 370,000 in the past two years to 9.6 million troops, family members and military retirees.

• Nearly 200,000 prescriptions were filled each day at civilian pharmacies last year.

Active-duty troops and their families receive free health care except for out-of-pocket co-payments of $3 or $9 per prescription at civilian pharmacies.

Retirees receive the same benefits by paying $230 a person or $460 a family each year, along with small co-payments for various types of care. The fees have not gone up since 1995. By contrast, private insurance plans try to limit expenses with frequent increases in premiums and copayments

"I want to be generous and fair to all those who serve, but there's a cost-containment problem," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said at a recent hearing. "I don't see how we can sustain this forever, where TRICARE is never subject to adjustment in terms of the premiums to be paid."

Hunter said higher out-of-pocket expenses are being explored by the Pentagon, too.

"The difference this year is that we see members of Congress saying we need to have a thoughtful discussion," Hunter said. "Where's the balance here? We want to be grateful for people's service, absolutely. But the costs are up. What's fair?"

Meanwhile , for the benefit of those people who have read this far - what the USA paper is not telling you is that our Veterans routinely receive out of date drugs , the wrong substitution prescription drugs because they are cheaper , or other substitute prescriptions aimed to kill the Veteran for the purpose of eliminating their rising costs to the VA. And of course , the aspirins given ass substitutes for the real deal prescribed drugs because of more costs control. Yep , this goes on everyday.

Now then , are'nt you ready to join up and fight for your country? There's a good chance you'll win The Purple Heart and all of the woes that go with it.