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BILLS WOULD ALLOW VETERANS TO BUY INTO DENTAL

CARE -- Private healthcare provider stands to reap billions as

vets would have to pay for services VA should provide.

There is a bill in the House and one in the Senate that will offer veterans in the VA system the opportunity to buy into dental care insurance from a private provider.

While this seems like a good idea, and some vets' groups are raving, it ignores the base issue:  The VA should be providing free dental care to all veterans in the system.

But, why do that when there is money to be made?

The bill in the House was authored by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.  In the Senate, the bill comes from Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), the Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Buyer and Burr are not known as "veteran-friendly."  So, we have to assume that somebody is going to make a ton of money on this deal.

The prime candidate is Humana Veterans Healthcare Services Inc., headed by Alfonzo Poteet, a former deputy secretary at the VA, and good buddy of Steve Buyer.

Buyer pushed Project Hero, a program to get rural vets healthcare closer to home by outsourcing to private providers.  Humana's Poteet jumped on this and got some Project Hero contracts.  Story here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfJUN07/nf060507-1.htm

The problem is, Humana has screwed up Project Hero beyond belief.  In one rural county, vets cannot get the promised care because Humana is outsourcing the outsourcing and local providers won't accept Humana's fees:  LESS than Medicare. 

And, another problem I see, is setting the precedent of having veterans pay for their services.  What next?  Pay for them all?

You can use the VA Watchdog search engine to find out more about Humana, Project Hero, Buyer, Burr or any other topic.  Here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/

Below are the press releases from Buyer and Burr, plus links to their legislation.

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House bill here... http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.6277:

Buyer's press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/hcva08/hcva061708-2.htm

Press release below:

Buyer Introduces Veterans and Survivors Dental Insurance Act of 2008

For more information, contact: Brian Lawrence, (202) 225-3527



Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), introduced H.R. 6277, the Veterans and Survivors Dental Insurance Act of 2008.

Buyer, who is Ranking Republican on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs made the following statement:

“Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Veterans and Survivors Dental Insurance Act of 2008. This legislation would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer a voluntary dental insurance plan for certain veterans, their survivors and dependents.

In 1997, Congress first authorized the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP). As Chairman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee during the 105th and 106th Congresses, I helped champion the TRDP program. It is a voluntary, all-enrollee-paid dental program that currently covers over 800,000 retired members of the uniformed services, including National Guard and Reserve personnel, and their families. This program offers military retirees an affordable comprehensive dental benefit program that covers diagnostic and preventive services, basic restorative services, periodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, and dental emergencies.

Madam Speaker, this legislation would simply provide eligible veterans, survivors, and dependents the option of enrolling in a high-quality and affordable dental care plan similar to what is available for military retirees under TRDP. I assure my colleagues that nothing in this Act would diminish the responsibility of the Secretary to provide dental care under current law. Eligibility for VA dental benefits according to law would not change.

Good dental health is important to overall health and quality of life. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Veterans and Survivors Dental Insurance Act of 2008.”

Senate bill here... http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.3178:

Burr's press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/scva08/scva062308-1.htm

Press release below:

REPUBLICAN PRESS RELEASE

June 23, 2008



Burr Introduces Legislation To Provide Veterans With Greater Access To Dental Insurance

Bill would let veterans and their families benefit from VA’s buying power



WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) today introduced legislation that would provide veterans with access to dental insurance. The bill would allow the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) to establish a dental program for all veterans, surviving spouses, and certain dependent children who are enrolled in VA's health care system. The program, which is completely voluntary, would give veterans the benefit of VA's buying power in order to get lower premiums on dental insurance coverage.

"Healthy teeth are an important part of overall health, and our veterans should have access to affordable dental care," Burr said. "This legislation would provide veterans with access to group insurance rates they may not otherwise be able to get on their own. The Department of Defense runs a similar program that has given over a million retirees and their families access to dental coverage. With this kind of success, it seems only fitting that we offer the same kind of benefit to the 7.9 million veterans enrolled in VA health care."

Although VA does provide dental coverage under some circumstances, the vast majority of people receiving care from the department do not have access to dental care through VA. Burr's legislation is modeled after the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP), in which military retirees are given the option to purchase dental coverage under a private contract managed by the Department of Defense. The bill would not replace any dental services provided by VA.

"This legislation would ensure that servicemembers and veterans are well-served and get to reap the benefits of group rates and competition," Burr added.

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posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org

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