Bright weighs in on veterans insurance

Congressman Bobby Bright supports the White House decision to abandon a previous policy that would have forced veterans to use private insurance for service-connected treatment or disabilities.

Yesterday, he and 67 others in the House of Representatives signed a letter sent to President Obama that expressed opposition to the proposal. The White House has now indicated that they are dropping the proposal after concerns were expressed.

The letter stated:

“We do not give our veterans health care – they earn it – and it would be unacceptable for the VA to ask our veterans to pay for the treatment of injuries received while serving our nation in uniform. That responsibility belongs to the VA, and it would be wrong to outsource the responsibility of covering the care of those veterans to private insurance companies.”

The letter also praised the administration’s proposed 10% increase in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which would increase funding for the department by $25 billion over the next five fiscal years.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country and we can never do enough to appropriately honor their service,” Bright said. “I am pleased that the Administration has committed to keeping veterans’ health care under the Veterans Administration. Veterans should never be asked to pay an extra cent for the sacrifices they have made defending America. The needs of veterans will continue to be one of my top priorities as a Member of Congress.”

To view a copy of the letter, click here.