Privatizing The Veteran's Administration With A Pretty Name

Larry Scott once again has the best information on the latest attempt to privatize Veterans Healthcare and package it with a pretty name. Now, there is nothing wrong with providing Veterans in rural areas with quality healtcare. Except the company should not be led by a greedy, former VA deputy assistant secretary. Again, Capitalism at its finest under the bu$h-led Veteran's Administration. Screw the American taxpayer if need be!

NEW VETERANS UNIT COULD BE BIG BUSINESS FOR HUMANA, INC. -- Humana's next step in privatizing the VA is led by former VA deputy assistant secretary Alfonzo Poteet. This story starts over a year ago with a press release from Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), then Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Press release here... In the release, Buyer speaks of Project HERO, a move to outsource (privatize) healthcare for rural veterans. A few days later, I wrote this: "This is a lesson in political manipulation. Give your program a compelling name: Project HERO. Tell people that it will not do what it is really designed to do: Privatize VA healthcare. Then, sit back and watch people buy into it." That story here... Also in the above story is this from former Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE): "Under the Project Hero program, Osborne said Thursday, veterans could go to their local hospital and be reimbursed for the care." You can give it a nice name and you can tell us how wonderful it will be, but it is still privatizing the VA. Buyer stated: "This initiative is not intended to undermine our affiliations, or lead to expanded outsourcing or the replacement of existing VA facilities." However, the VA is closing facilities and they are moving to more outsourced healthcare. VA employees are not being hired to run new Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The VA just announced they are building 38 new CBOCs and most of those will be run under contract by private providers. Story here... And, we have this warning from the DAV: "...private providers 'would inevitably grow over time and place at risk' the comprehensive services the VA provides." Please carefully read the article below. You will see that Humana is greedy and wants a big chunk of VA healthcare money. Today's story here...