Don't Qualify for VA Benefits, Ouch! (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

Hmmm. I don't remember expressing indignation in this thread, disappoinment maybe. BTW, once I reach that poverty level, I probably will have been without medical care for a long while, I'll be in worse shape, and it'll cost the VA more to treat then me then if they had accepted me earlier.

I've worked all my adult life, and so has my wife. We've carried insurance all our working lives, we didn't cherry pick and avoid the premiums while we were young. We continue to carry insurance now, even though neither of us are employed, so that means we pay the entire premiums.

I wasn't indignant before, but your response is out of line. Please don't compare us to welfare bums. Speaking of that, I suppose you think everyone on welfare is a bum?

 

[Eric_L]

Maybe I misunderstood the part where you said that you want someone else to pay your medical bills (re: hearing aid). Regardless - no offense intended. It is still a valid observation overall; I work in an industry where I see people try some of the slimiest maneuvers in order to get the government to pay their medical bills. I personally want someone else to pay for my new projector. There ain't nothing wrong with that. The only thing wrong is when it is expected and then anger and dissapointment ensue when it is denied.
Now - if you were promised it as a benefit that is something else, but that ship sailed years ago. I am being promised social security. Let's see how disappointed I get to be someday. Meanwhile - I'm making my own plans. I won't depend on them to provide for me - I'll depend on me. (though I'd certainly like a refund of everything I paid in - with interest)

Oh, and just FYI - not everyone on welfare is a bum, and not every bum is on welfare. (particularly since it was reformed in 96)

 

[Johnny Angell]

There's everything I've written in this thread. I suppose if I had started a thread complaining about my health insurance not covering a procedure, you'd say I was expecting someone else to pay my medical bills? No where do I demand VA benefits, no where do I say I expected to get them.

The fact is I'm a veteran, and that has never meant less (as far as VA benefits go) than today. Veterans used to go to college on VA benefits. How dare they have someone else pay for their college education.

In my previous quotes I have said I should be lower priority behind other veterans, but I am disappointed that means no priority. I have never been on welfare, the only government aid I've ever taken was unemployment. Some of that money I paid while working.

Since having someone else pay for your expenses offends you so much, would you stop collecting on social security once you've collected all you paid in? I know you don't expect to collect on it, but if you do, will you do that? Or just continue to collect after you've been paid back your money? From your comments I can only assume you'll stop collecting.

It's really insulting when you compare your home theater equipment with a medical device. Do you really think that if I were reimbursed for a hearing aid that you should also be reimbursed for your home theater gear? I know of no insurance that does that, no government program that does that, I don't know any any program that even promises that.

 

[Justin Lane]

Johnny,

After thinking about this topic a bit more I had the following thoughts:

1.) You could have stuck with the Military for your entire career and retired after 20 years with full VA benefits. Obviously this option did not sit well with you, or you wanted to make more money in the private sector, or some other reason. Whatever the case, it was a decision you made. A few years in any job (including possible combat), does not warrant a lifetime of benefits paid for by the taxpayers or a corporation.

2.) You retired without any health care benefits. Either you got out early or just left for other personal reasons. Maybe un-retire to provide benefits/funds until your wife goes back to work or you are eligible for Medicare. Your wife losing her job was unexpected, but as you obviously know, when the unexpected comes you sometimes have to change plans. If you have a pension or other retirement funds that allow you to pay for the roof over your head, food, and your insurance premiums for the remainder of you life, you are in better shape than a lot of people in this country. You may have to modify your way of life if you so value health insurance.

3.) We have come to expect health care service as a right at birth in this country, and it has really only become common place over the last 50 years. For thousands of years, men lived without any insurance, and for the most part formal health care. Even though I have health insurance, I believe it there to be used as "insurance" for the big events that can happen in ones life (cancer, broken bones, etc.), and not for every ailment that one may encounter (colds, ear aches, hearing loss, etc.). Excessive use has helped grow the health industry to the money making giant it is today.

4.) I do have problems when promises were made by the government or corporations on benefits to be received, only to see them taken away. This is a problem you can see throughout corporate America today with defaults in Pensions plans and promised benefits being taken away. There are bills in congress in the work to ensure companies adequately funs their pension plans, which will help the American taxpayer and also force companies to install plans which have long term viability.

J

 

[Justin Lane]

Though this is directed at Eric, I have a couple thoughts on your last post.

The social security argument is kind of out there due to the time value of money. If the same money invested in Social Security grew with interest over a worker's career in a resonably safe investment vehicle (blue chip stocks, bonds), at the current max Social Security payouts, a worker would never receive back the "potential" earnings had the money been invested elsewhere.

Though I make this argument, I am against privatizing social security and investing the money in stocks. I believe such plans will only artifically boost the stock market from an insurgance of new investments, and place even more of America's capital in the control of the large financial houses which run the mutal funds Americans would be investing. Not to mention a very high precentage of our population has not had any kind of financial training in high school or college, and has no interest in learning as evidenced by the shocking amount of consumer debt in our country today.

As for getting a free or subsidized hearing aid, once again I wonder why people feel they have the right at birth to have perfect hearing their entire life. Some people are born deaf, some have genetic hearing losses, and some lose hearing from industrial deafness or accidents. A hearing aid is a luxury in my opinion, and most insurance plans have very basic coverage if any at all for such devices. In this way, a hearing aid is equivalent to a projector.

Give up another luxury (cable TV, High speed internet, a new car, dinners out, new clothing) and save those same funds for a hearing aid.

J

 

[Eric_L]

Johnny;

To address your first comment about health insurance vs VA benefits - Health insurance involves a contract and a promise to pay. The VA benefits you have defined do not - by your own admission. Even though - I did make exception if you at one time were promised a benefit. Even that promise, however, could be compared to the benefit I've been promised in social security - subject to change (particularly on one's economic condition)

As a veteran you are indeed held in higher esteem than ordinary citizens. That does not grant you any free rides. (citizens which expect that are most often held in lower esteem) You are entitled to every promise made to you when you were enlisted. To expect more is inappropriate.
I never said receiving a promised benefit is offensive. In my case I would be beyond amazed if I ever received the full value of what I have paid into social security. In fact - the promised return in my case is a negative number after inflation - or even before based on some calculations.

As far as a hearing aid goes - I would consider it a legitimate medical need. Just because it is however does not entitle you to reimbursement if you have no contract (insurance, retirement bene, etc) with anyone to provide it. You can ask for a handout all day - but your claim is no more legitimate than mine for a new projector. Nobody owes either of us this - particularly if we have the means to purchase it ourself. (and I do presume that you have made an above average investment in your home theater system)

All that said - really my comments are not directed at you. Honestly.

I come across on average one person per month who asks for my help in structuring their finances in order to qualify for one government program or another. Most often they say "I don't want the nursing home to get my money!" as if paying for their own medical bills was somehow distasteful. These same people never bothered to purchase long term-care insurance. They just expect Uncle Sam (you and I) to pay their expenses for them. And I mean EXPECT. As if it were their God given right. These same people wouldn't be caught dead on welfare but somehow when it comes to their medical bills the suddenly don't think they should have to pay anything out of pocket - ever. They are the reason I will never collect any medicare benefit, why my social security benefit is going to be reduced, taxed at a high rate or completely eliminated, and why so much of my paycheck never makes it to my bank account - and likely will get even worse in the future. The vast majority of them never served a day in the military.

As far as privatizing social security - I once felt the same as Justin. Eventually I came to have more faith in ordinary Americans and the confines which would be placed on the accounts by design; Most insurance companies today offer annuities which offer a minimum future guranteed benefit which is much higher than what social security provides - and the investor still has the potential for even more if their portfolio performance is successful. (Not to mention the potential to pass the wealth on to their beneficiaries - unlike social security) If the government underwrote the gurantees on those benefits (remotely similar to FDIC insurance does for banks) then the cost to the government would decline dramatically and the return to investors would increase. With the current transfer of retirement responsibility away from pensions onto employees - this would have multiple beneficial results - not the least of which would be a sort of forced learning about proper investment principles. But alas - I digress...

This whole thread should be a lesson for everyone about preparing for the future. There is only one person you can count on to keep their promise to you - you. If you have not sat down and planned your future - income, insurance, long term care (yes - it is different from insurance), back up for emergencies, etc. then you will be left holding the bag wondering who should have helped you. It is never pretty: believe me - I've seen it far too much. Most people spend far more time planning vacations than they do these things. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best is today. By the time you need it it will be too late...

 

[Chu Gai]

That includes our politicians, regardless of party

 

[Eric_L]

I read an interesting oped some time ago which speculated on some of the disjointed relations the US has had with China. Apparently 90% of our politicians were trained as lawyers while 90% or China's were trained as engineer. No wonder sometimes they don't see eye to eye. Now - if PLUMBERS ruled the world...

 

[Todd Hochard]

I didn't recall seeing it earlier- will the insurance you carry now not cover the hearing aid?

 

[Johnny Angell]

No, and I think very few policies will. There are just some things that are given short shrift. Mental care, eye glasses, dental care.

When you think about it, good teeth are not a luxury, but you're going to pay a 50% co-pay on a crown. Durable medical equipment is often a 50% copay. But I'd be grateful for that much coverage on the hearing aid instead of zilch.

 

[dany]

Then sh$t would get done.