Benefit cuts dismay veterans

Military recruitment will suffer if President Bush continues to slash veterans benefits, a handful of veterans groups said Monday.

In his budget released Monday, the president targeted veterans health care on a variety of fronts. The co-payment for prescriptions for many veterans would more than double, and some would have to pay a new fee of $250 a year for the privilege of using government health care.

With troops needed in both Afghanistan and Iraq and recruiting efforts dwindling, now is not the time to cut veterans' benefits, said Bob Jones, state commander of the Utah American Legion.

"I can't find it in my heart to tell a kid a military career is a good career move because we are not taking care of them," said Jones, who used to work as a military recruiter.

If Congress approves the president's budget, nondisabled, higher-income veterans seeking Veterans Affairs health care would see their co-payment for a month's supply of prescription drugs jump from $7 to $15.

Those nondisabled, higher-income veterans would also pay a $250 annual enrollment fee to receive VA health care.

"They are having difficulty meeting their recruitment needs now," said Terry Schow, director of the Utah Division of Veterans Affairs. "Why this, why now?

This isn't the first time Bush has made these types of recommendations. It's the third year in a row the president has attempted to establish a similar enrollment fee for the veteran health-care system. But in previous budgets Congress rejected the proposals each time.

The budget would raise medical care spending from $21.6 billion to $22.4 billion, paid for by increasing the premiums for some veterans.

"It is incomprehensible that our veterans will pay for the shortfall in VA health-care funding from their own pockets as tax dollars flow out the back door of America," said Thomas P. Cadmus, national commander of the American Legion.

It's the first time in four years that the president has not increased the VA budget.

Also mentioned in the budget are previously announced plans to close or scale back some veterans hospitals.

"You are fighting a war. Do not hurt veterans who have fought before by diminishing the coverage of those veterans who have fought before," Schow said.

With at least 2,086 Utahns in the National Guard or Reserves currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans in the state soon will jump.

"I can't imagine them cutting veterans benefits at a time like this," said retired Army Maj. George Wahlen, Utah's lone Medal of Honor winner.

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