WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Congressman Dan Boren issued a letter to President Obama today in opposition to a provision in his proposed budget to force veteran’s with privately-held health insurance coverage to submit medical claims to that insurance plan rather than to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Boren urged the President to evaluate the ramifications of setting this precedent for the future care of veterans and reconsider its implementation.
“I wrote to President Obama to express my concern that this provision would seriously undermine our veteran’s trust in the commitment our nation is making to provide for their care after returning from the battlefield,” Boren said. “The very least we can do is provide the best care possible to honor their sacrifice. On behalf of the veteran’s in the Second Congressional District and Oklahoma, many of whom have called my office to report their extreme displeasure with this specific proposal, I wanted to represent their voice and demonstrate their absolute opposition to this proposal.”
Boren’s letter did acknowledge the President’s commitment to seeking a raise in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs by 11% in next year’s budget, and also for his proposal to increase funding for veterans’ care and benefits by $25 billion over the next five years. However, Boren expressed that if this proposal moved forward, veterans would experience undue financial burden as their private insurance costs increased which could result in making the transition to civilian life much more complicated.
“Veterans have already earned their right to have this care provided through their service to our country. We will also be welcoming more and more soldiers home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and this policy is not going to aid in that important endeavor,” Boren said. “A nation is measured by how it takes care of those who have protected and defended it in times of dire need. I am confident that if this provision is included in the budget that it will not receive the necessary vote in Congress to become law.”
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