Quick Work

Approximately nobody liked the plan floated by the Obama Administration to send wounded veterans out onto the private insurance market to pay for treatment of injuries obtained during their service. It sounded positively Bush-like, and the meager cost savings were more than outweighed by the immorality, not to mention undermining the VA medical system, which actually does a fine job keeping down costs. I believe the White House learned their lesson:

This afternoon, Speaker Pelosi met with leaders of veterans’ service organizations and announced that the Administration is no longer considering the plan:

I’m pleased to announce that we have some good news of the past several days, President Obama has listened to the genuine concerns expressed by veteran’s leaders and veterans service organizations regarding the option of billing service connected veterans insurance companies. Based on the respect that President Obama has for our nation’s veterans and the principled concerns expressed by veterans’ leaders, the President has made the decision that the combat-wounded veterans should not be billed through their insurance policies.

Veteran's Committee Chair Bob Filner had already announced he would not take up the proposal in his committee, so it was already DOA, making the Administration's decision somewhat easier. I just cannot understand why you would even start down this path, causing cracks in the shaky trust built up over the years between Democrats and veterans. But at least there will be no larger scuffle.