Many Of America’s Veterans Uninsured
[11/22/07]
They make sacrifices that many Americans cannot begin to imagine: Leaving their families, friends, and every day lives behind to serve and fight in foreign lands about which many people know very little. And, some make the ultimate sacrifice: Giving their lives for their country.
Today, there are approximately 24 million veterans in the United States. But, more than a million of America’s veterans are currently without medical insurance. According to the American Journal of Public Health, more than half of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans have no facility or physician to go to when they get sick, a startling fact that contradicts the misconception of many Americans that all veterans have access to health insurance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In reality, however, 1.8 million veterans between the ages of 44 and 64 do not have health insurance because they simply do not make enough money to purchase health insurance from a private health insurance company, yet they still make too much money to be eligible for Medicaid or the VA's health care.
As a result, researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that a fourth of all uninsured veterans do not receive necessary medical care or put off getting the needed medical care because of the high costs. In fact, over half of the uninsured veterans had not seen a health care professional or had not gone to a doctor’s office in over a year. The study also found that two thirds did not seek preventive care due to the high cost of such care.
What’s more, over a quarter of all uninsured veterans cannot afford the necessary medical prescriptions and almost a quarter of those same veterans go without prescription eyeglasses because they simply cannot afford them.
It hasn’t always been this way for America’s veterans, but things have gotten progressively worse over the past four years. According to researchers at the Harvard Medical School, the reason that the number of veterans who are uninsured has declined is due to changes made by the Bush administration in 2003. Healthcare is now only available for those veterans who have health problems related to combat or who are annually making less than $30,000.
The White House, however, asserts that veterans are indeed getting the treatment they both need and deserve after their service to the United States. The White House spokesperson, Trent Duffy, points out that 194 community health clinics specifically for veterans were opened during Bush’s presidency. He further asserts that there has been an increase of 40 percent in spending on veterans’ medical care.
In addition to the 1.8 million veterans who are uninsured, there are another 3.9 million people, who live with uninsured veterans, who are also uninsured. The majority of uninsured veterans are veterans from the Vietnam War. Those veterans who served in World War II and the Korean War are all over the age of 65, which makes them eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for all Americans 65 and older.
Today, there are approximately 24 million veterans in the United States. But, more than a million of America’s veterans are currently without medical insurance. According to the American Journal of Public Health, more than half of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans have no facility or physician to go to when they get sick, a startling fact that contradicts the misconception of many Americans that all veterans have access to health insurance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In reality, however, 1.8 million veterans between the ages of 44 and 64 do not have health insurance because they simply do not make enough money to purchase health insurance from a private health insurance company, yet they still make too much money to be eligible for Medicaid or the VA's health care.
As a result, researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that a fourth of all uninsured veterans do not receive necessary medical care or put off getting the needed medical care because of the high costs. In fact, over half of the uninsured veterans had not seen a health care professional or had not gone to a doctor’s office in over a year. The study also found that two thirds did not seek preventive care due to the high cost of such care.
What’s more, over a quarter of all uninsured veterans cannot afford the necessary medical prescriptions and almost a quarter of those same veterans go without prescription eyeglasses because they simply cannot afford them.
It hasn’t always been this way for America’s veterans, but things have gotten progressively worse over the past four years. According to researchers at the Harvard Medical School, the reason that the number of veterans who are uninsured has declined is due to changes made by the Bush administration in 2003. Healthcare is now only available for those veterans who have health problems related to combat or who are annually making less than $30,000.
The White House, however, asserts that veterans are indeed getting the treatment they both need and deserve after their service to the United States. The White House spokesperson, Trent Duffy, points out that 194 community health clinics specifically for veterans were opened during Bush’s presidency. He further asserts that there has been an increase of 40 percent in spending on veterans’ medical care.
In addition to the 1.8 million veterans who are uninsured, there are another 3.9 million people, who live with uninsured veterans, who are also uninsured. The majority of uninsured veterans are veterans from the Vietnam War. Those veterans who served in World War II and the Korean War are all over the age of 65, which makes them eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for all Americans 65 and older.
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