2,266 veterens died in 2008 for not having healthcare

[takebackyourpowe r]

According to a study released by the Harvard Medical School, 2,266 veterans under the age of 65 died last year as a result of not having health insurance. Researchers emphasize that "that figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001."

The 1.46 million working-age veterans that did not have health insurance last year all experienced reduced access to care as a consequence, leading to "six preventable deaths a day."

Like other uninsured Americans, most uninsured vets are working people -- too poor to afford private coverage but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or means-tested VA care," said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a professor at Harvard Medical School.[...]

Dr. David Himmelstein, the co-author of the report and associate professor of medicine at Harvard, commented, "On this Veterans Day we should not only honor the nearly 500 soldiers who have died this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also the more than 2,200 veterans who were killed by our broken health insurance system. That's six preventable deaths a day."

The study's authors warn that the health care legislation "would do virtually nothing for the uninsured until 2013" and would "leave at least 17 million uninsured over the long run when reform kicks in," leaving many veterans still without care.

This is wrong.... simply wrong. no matter what party your apart of..... these men and woman are due healthcare for their life. just my opinion.

[indy]

they should get free health care, they earned it, and paid for it, maybe harvard can give it to them when they find vets who arent covered, harvard can afford it.... vets should get it as good/better as illegals atleast....

[HAMMER]

All they have to do is go to a Veterans Hospital. If they can't afford health insurance, they will be taken care of. Sounds like Harvard is trying to help Obama with his health care bill. If they can't make it to a VA Hospital, no emergency room can turn them away.

[Government Watch]

indy wrote:

they should get free health care, they earned it, and paid for it, maybe harvard can give it to them when they find vets who arent covered, harvard can afford it.... vets should get it as good/better as illegals atleast....

They do get free health care. The problem is it is government health care and is rationed out just like the government health care that the house just passed. They also have a poor choice of doctors because they can`t find many that want to work for government wages. Most of the Dr`s in VA hospitals and clinics are forigners becaus they can get them to come here cheap.

[Ruth Less]

Many of the homeless are Vietnam and Korean War veterans. There was a great story about this in the Dallas Morning News. We don't want them to have health care, public housing or a roof over their heads. Shame on us. Maybe President Obama will change this.

[Ruth Less]

Government Watch wrote:

<quoted text> They do get free health care. The problem is it is government health care and is rationed out just like the government health care that the house just passed. They also have a poor choice of doctors because they can`t find many that want to work for government wages. Most of the Dr`s in VA hospitals and clinics are forigners becaus they can get them to come here cheap.

Do you even realize how racists this sounds? Probably not. What does that say about the "foreign" doctors here in Texarkana? Wow. You are a piece of work...

[blue ranger]

RL, It sounds just as racist as saying that pilgrims Pride hires undocumented workers to catch chickens because they will work for less. How do you survive in this world if everything you see and hear seems racist. You must be so full of contempt for humanity.

[tellthetruth]

Ruth Less wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you even realize how racists this sounds? Probably not. What does that say about the "foreign" doctors here in Texarkana? Wow. You are a piece of work...

Come on, Many of the doctors from other countries come to the USA for a chance.Our government makes that possible.They come here to learn. Not all countries have the training we have here. How is that racists? Not every comment is racists unless it comes from your racist mouth.The VA's doctors are not trained as well as a Doctor in a major hospital.If they were they would be there making more money.I wouldn't take a goat to the VA. Our veterans deserve much more.If they didn't fight for our rights you wouldn't be able to sit here and spout off your stupidity.

[Ruth Less]

So, you are saying the doctors at St. Michael and Wadley are better than those at the VA in Shreveport?

[Moanna Lott]

Ruth Less wrote:

So, you are saying the doctors at St. Michael and Wadley are better than those at the VA in Shreveport?

Having dealt with all three in this area......I or spouse wouldn't!

[tellthetruth]

Ruth Less wrote:

So, you are saying the doctors at St. Michael and Wadley are better than those at the VA in Shreveport?

nope, I say if something happens to me get me to Little Rock,Dallas or Houston. I see these doctors, but if something was to go wrong I would leave in a heartbeat if i still have one.The reason these Dr are here two reasons local ties or they will tell you they are not as smart as the Dr's in the big Hospitals. If they were they would go for the Gold.All people do not have the same IQ's some of us understand that, others yell racism or unfairness.

[Government Watch]

Ruth Less wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you even realize how racists this sounds? Probably not. What does that say about the "foreign" doctors here in Texarkana? Wow. You are a piece of work...

What I meant is there are very few American Doctors. A foreign doctor could be french, or Dutch. An American Doctor could be American Indian. You have a bad case of race on the brain. GW

[Government Watch]

Ruth Less wrote:

So, you are saying the doctors at St. Michael and Wadley are better than those at the VA in Shreveport?

Yep. I`m not saying all, but most.

[indy]

Government Watch wrote:

<quoted text> They do get free health care. The problem is it is government health care and is rationed out just like the government health care that the house just passed. They also have a poor choice of doctors because they can`t find many that want to work for government wages. Most of the Dr`s in VA hospitals and clinics are forigners becaus they can get them to come here cheap.

....and thats the same they want us to have... i wasnt saying they didnt get free health-care wss just responding to another poster... i dont like much of what the gov gets into and tries to run,itll water down the quality of care

[indy]

Ruth Less wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you even realize how racists this sounds? Probably not. What does that say about the "foreign" doctors here in Texarkana? Wow. You are a piece of work...

....just curious, what race did the poster mention?.. what race is a foreigner? and how bout when its true?....i cant believe how overly ultra sensitive some people are.... some people see race in everything....i feel that was a racist statement, ruth's is more bigoted than posters is racist... by the way, youve never heard of foreign labor?

[Razorback84]

Our veterans deserve health care insurance and shouldn't have to worry about health care period. They gave their lives to serve this country and to die for it. They shouldn't have to travel clear across the state to get health care or even just for check ups. The should be able to go to any doctor's office and any hospital and receive healthcare

[WhatsWrongWithPe ople]

I'm sorry, but statistics such as these don't make a hiil of beans. There was one guy in congress that tried to show the same thing with regular Americans dying without insurance. There is no way the survey could show All these people died Because they didn't have insurance. Sure some people die while not being Insured, but because of multiple reasons that insurance wouldn't have helped, such as natural causes, old age, car wrecks, heart attacks, house fire's, etc. I'm sure just as many have died WITH insurance. So it's not a great example to be using in my opinion. I think all Vets should be taking care of no doubt! they earned it!

[Wounded]

HAMMER wrote:

All they have to do is go to a Veterans Hospital. If they can't afford health insurance, they will be taken care of. Sounds like Harvard is trying to help Obama with his health care bill. If they can't make it to a VA Hospital, no emergency room can turn them away.

VA pays what BOWIE county wouldn't pay each day to care for me.

Near three thousand dollars per month in medications. Not to count all the doctor visits.
I have to agree with you one more time.
Just go to the VA and be done with it.
They will not turn you away.
Just go to the ER.
It's full of people who have never paid one day of taxes.
Much less served one day for their country.

[Razorback84]

you cant say that people who go to the ER don't pay taxes. how do you know that? ever asked them do they pay taxes? what about the ones that were in a car wreck or had a heart attack, they don't pay taxes either?

[blue ranger]

I think he has some validity though. Al ot of people who don't have ins to go to ppo will go to the er with relatively minor ailments because they won't get turned away.