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GOP: Health reform may hurt retirees, vets

Two top Republicans warn that the national health care reform plan approved by the House of Representatives could end up hurting military retirees and veterans.

Reps. Howard “Buck” McKeon of California, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, and Steve Buyer of Indiana, ranking Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said they fear the Affordable Health Care for America Act that passed the House by a 220-215 vote on Saturday would restrict options and possibly reduce coverage for veterans, retirees and their families.

The bill is now headed to the Senate for debate that is likely to result in major changes in the bill.

“I find it outrageous that the government would attempt to dictate where and how they obtain health care,” said Buyer, one of the lawmakers who helped create the Tricare for Life health benefit for Medicare-eligible military retirees.

Specifically, Buyer said he opposes HR 3962 because it “restricts veterans’ health care options and imposes a sweeping government takeover of our nation’s health care system.”

The ability of the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments to fully control their own health care programs are jeopardized by the bill, he said, because these programs are not given autonomy from the larger federal health care czar position that would be created by the legislation.

Democratic leaders, including the three committee chairman responsible for preparing HR 3962, repeatedly have said there is nothing in the bill that interferes with military and veterans health coverage but McKeon and Buyer are talking mostly about unintended harm.

The two key Republicans have the support of major veterans groups — including AmVets, Blinded Veterans of America and The Retired Enlisted Association — which share the same concerns, although perhaps not to the same fierce extent.

Raymond Kelly, national legislative director AmVets, said his concerns are based on a desire for “clarity.”

“The intent of the bill is to allow veterans to have VA care and, if they qualify, to also be part of the insurance exchange to get care for themselves and their families,” Kelly said. “We support the intent, but we would like the bill to spell that out more directly.”

Concessions were made in an effort to provide greater clarity, although McKeon and Buyer did not get everything they sought. At Buyer’s urging, the House bill includes a provision that would specifically exempt veterans enrolled in VA health care from having to pay a 2.5 percent penalty on their income if they don’t have private health insurance.