Senators Boost Effort to Give Military Health Insurance to Reserves, Guard

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB6VK1BLUD.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - Members of the National Guard and Reserves should have military health insurance partly because their lack of insurance makes one-fourth of them unable to answer the call when their units are mobilized for service in Iraq, two lawmakers said Sunday.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is sponsoring insurance legislation with Sen. Hillary Clinton and others, said it would "make sure that every Guard and Reserve member becomes a member of the military health care system just like an active-duty person and family."

"If you join the Guard and Reserves, you are being asked to do more things than ever in the history in the country," Graham, R-S.C., told "Fox News Sunday."

But, he said, "One in four people called ... are unable to go on active duty because of health care problems."

Graham and Clinton, D-N.Y., pledged to push hard for the legislation despite opposition from the Bush administration and Pentagon generals.

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[aquart]

1. THEY DON'T HAVE HEALTH CARE?

My god, we are pigs.

[GoldenOldie]

2. "active-duty"

If this ain't "active-duty," I don't know what the hell you call it.
Tell those Guard/Reserve Units that have been called and been shot at, killed and maimed that they aren't "active."

[HawkerHurricane]

3. Called up Guard/Reserve units are active duty...

and are treated by the military health system. The problem is that when they aren't called up (inactive), they don't get military health care... which means that if they don't get it taken care of elsewhere, when they are called up any health problem they have keeps them from doing thier duty until it's take care of. Rather than do that, the military (Pentagon) 'picks and chooses': they decide which reservists are healthy enough to go, which ones it's worthwile to treat and send, and which ones they'll just 'deactivate' rather than treat...

[cal04]

4. Transcript: Sens. Clinton, Graham on 'Fox News Sunday'

GRAHAM: Well, I'm going to vote for President Bush proudly, and I imagine Senator Clinton won't.

Between now and November, we're going to have great debates, and I'm going to be fighting for the president because I believe in him and I believe in his policies in Iraq. This is part of the war on terror.

But the men and women who are doing the real fighting, the worst thing they can say about Senator Clinton and myself is some bad things. The worst thing that can happen to you in Iraq is that you get killed or you get wounded and your family members are left behind to suffer.

Here's where we agree: We agree that if you join the Guard and Reserves, you are being asked to do more things than ever in the history in the country, and that one in four people called to active duty from the Guard and Reserves are unable to go on active duty because of health care problems.


I believe it is long overdue to make sure that every Guard and Reserve member becomes a member of the military health care system just like an active-duty person and family. It will help recruiting. It will help readiness. It will help retention. It's about $4 billion over five years. They have earned it. They need it. And we're going to fight for it in a bipartisan way.

And I love the people in the Pentagon most of the time, but I disagree with them over this.





http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120696,00.html