Cost of veterans care to rise, despite decline in total number of vets.
Cost of veterans care to rise, despite decline in total number of vets.
The AP reports that despite a decline in total veterans “as soldiers from World War II and Korea die,” the government “expects to be spending $59 billion a year to compensate injured warriors in 25 years, up from today’s $29 billion,” according to internal documents. The VA “concedes the bill could be much higher” as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars go on:
Inflation accounts for a big chunk of the increase. But even when the VA factors out inflation, the compensation for disabled veterans would still grow from $29 billion to $33 billion in today’s dollars — a more than 10 percent increase. And the department acknowledges the estimate could rise by 30 percent.
Earlier this year, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz predicted that a “lifetime health-care and counseling for veterans” from Iraq and Afghanistan could in part push the total cost of the wars to $5 trillion to $7 trillion, far higher than current expectations.
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12 Responses to “Cost of veterans care to rise, despite decline in total number of vets.”
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They will suffer needlessly because the MSM will help the future generations to forget about these heros just like happened after Vietnam!!!!!
Why does America hate Veterans??
May 11th, 2008 at 3:47 pmAnother GDumbya “legacy” in the making.
Sad. Very sad.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:48 pmThe beast is so starved!
May 11th, 2008 at 4:07 pmJust a darned minute. Wasn’t I told the Iraqi thingie would pay for itself? Aren’t the Iraqi’s gonna pay the bills on this lifetime care and counseling deal after they have cleared the balance with the florist for all those flowers they were handing out?
May 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pmA small price to pay for the damage this administration has done.
This does not take into account job placement when they are finished. (finding a job is going to be so difficult in our current economic climate)
This does not take into consideration all the years they have sacrificed for this unholy war.
This does not take into consideration all the time it will take to heal their mind and bodies.
The government has nothing to complain about, they were not the ones that made a sacrifice.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:23 pmElect McIIIrd, and expect a 30% CUT in funding…
May 11th, 2008 at 4:41 pmOne must note that the 25% of $29 billion represents compensation. The other side of the coin - medical care can actually be worse. I have a friend who fought in Nam and was injured (Lost all but two joints of one finger and thumb on his right hand.). He receives about 45 grand worth of medical treatment per year because clots from his injuries blocked veins in his heart.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:55 pmConsidering our experience with wars and other police actions, (WWII, Korea, Nam, etc.) why should this be a surprise ?
May 11th, 2008 at 5:11 pmAs a nation, could we rewind back to the end of WWII and start over, knowing what we know now? That means, McCarthy being voted out of the Senate before he started rambling, no Johnson, no Nixon, no Vietnam, no Ford, no Reagan, no Iraq, and no Bush I and II.
May 11th, 2008 at 5:49 pmAnd no Kennedy assassination. (stupid me)
Talk about the epitome of “20/20 in hindsight.”
May 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pmThere are more important things the White House/Pentagon/American people have to do with tax dollars then help the troops. Look there’s building Disneyland and the Resort in Iraq. Law Makers need more money to pocket and then it’s the DOJ that wants millions while spending on one dollar on drug crimes while pocketing the rest. I noticed how the blank check is still in effect while the smoke screen is the election. It’s so easy to see now. The Media will headline race/sexism/Hillary/Obama even a Mother duck at the White House with her kids as a Security Guard saves them all from a Dick Cheney shooting. Yes not a word about the billions signed by the Congress in free money to the White House or the Criminal Contractors. It’s called while you weren’t watching the country got robbed by the Law Makers. I wonder how much more Senator Diane Feinstein’s husband got in contracts for her cooperation with the Criminal White House. The only question left is what Law Maker isn’t on the take?
May 11th, 2008 at 7:06 pmUntil this great country realizes that 9/11 was the cover-up of the century:
our reckless foreign policy will continue, our men and women will continue to die in 2 illegal wars, our economy will continue to tank, our infrastructure will continue to crumble, our tax dollars will continue to pay for the private contractors in Iraq, gas prices will keep soaring, our resources here in America will not be available for another hurricane, earthquake because:
WE ARE FIGHTING A PHONY WAR ON TERROR.
The real terrorists hijacked this country 8 years ago.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:30 am