April 9, 2010 Lake Currents

Post date: Jun 13, 2013 5:0:0 PM

Main Speaker Bill Matz (left), president of National Association of Uniformed Services, is welcomed to the March 25 LOW Veterans Club meeting by Club Vice President/Acting Chairman Jim Fargo

Vets Fight Higher Med Costs as Congress Votes Free Med Care for Illegal Aliens

By Dick Martin, LOW Vets Secretary

Strong pressure has been applied by Congress in recent months on the Defense Department and military services to increase health care costs being paid by retired military veterans. At the same time, Congress voted $1 Billion-plus to provide FREE medical treatment for illegal immigrants in the U.S.

Major General Bill Matz, (USA Ret.) and President of the DC-based veteran advocacy group National Association For Uniformed Services (NAUS), told the LOW Veteran Club members at their March 25 meeting:

“This is incredible to me. At the same time the Pentagon is being pushed to cut $60 Billion from the current Defense budget, Congress last year enacted a Billion-Dollar-Plus plan to pay the health care costs for treating illegal aliens.

“Military retirees and veterans should not be asked to pay more for their earned health care, while illegal aliens get free health care.”

Matz said Congress should first ensure that our Armed Forces are fully-staffed, trained and equipped. They should see that our wounded warriors and other veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan receive “the very best health care we can provide them.

“And our older veterans should receive the care—and access to quality health care—that they were promised when they raised their hand to defend the Constitution of the United State. Now, strong pressure is being applied to have military veterans pay more for their health care.”

Matz, 5-year president of the NAUS non-profit, non-partisan military and veterans advocacy organization, said a co-pay increase for military service veterans has been called “a given” by some military leaders and legislators, who want to “shift health care costs onto the shoulders of career service members who sacrificed to earn the benefit.

He told the LOW Vets that one reason Congress can demand veterans pay more for their health care while rewarding illegal aliens with free care—and lavishing money on “pork barrel political projects”—is that the legislators lack past military service.

“Among all the elected members of Congress right now,” Matz said, “only 23% of Congressmen and Senators have ever served in the

military—the lowest number ever. Of that number, less than 9% have been in combat. And only 5% of their staff members have ever served.

“They honestly have no idea what military life is like.”22

The next LOW Veterans Club meeting will be held Thursday, April 22, at 4 PM. The presentation topic and speaker from Fort A. P. Hill will be named later.

All LOW veterans, including non-members, are invited to attend this timely and informative presentation. Member’s wives and family members are always welcome to attend Club meetings and events.

A Class 6 Social Hour will follow the business meeting.

Come join us…and bring a vet friend!