Wounded Troops Billed For Hospital Meals

[Don_G]

Talk about adding insult to injury, said one US Congressman.

Troops wounded in combat in the nation's war on terrorism are being handed more than just discharge papers when they leave military hospitals---some are also getting a bill.

At a daily rate of $8.10, hospitalized troops, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being charged for their meals.

Link: http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=16858&archive=true

[Brucey]

1. What did they eat?

Crow?

[Don_G]

3. REMF's

[hxcgreen]

2. that's TRICARE

TIRCARE (the military HMO run by......Humana! they have given 81% of their donations to repubs by the way) charges service members for everything they can.what a great way to say thanks. long live for profit health care!

[newyawker99]

11. Hi hxcgreen!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[MrBenchley]

4. Un-fucking-believable!!

The ugliness of this unelected drunk's crew knows no bounds....

[bearfartinthewoods]

8. this isn't bushco's doing...this is always the way it's been done

and it only applies to people who are given a food allowance.

[Gordon25]

13. Not the way it was done when I...

... was in military hospitals ('58 and '66). Never got charged for food. Never heard of anyone getting charged for food. I have been told the policy was instituted during the Regan administration. As to whether or not it just applies to those getting per diem food allotments, I don't know. But there was a report about a couple weeks ago on a military families website (can't find the link now) about an Army Staff Sergeant amputee who had $1400 deducted from his pay at discharge and as a result is living in a homeless shelter.

Gordon25

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

5. even though its to try and stop double pmts, it sucks !

For a measily few bucks, these poor soldiers are being
nickled & dimed to death EVEN after they have served their country
AND beenn sent to the hospital for care.


To have the US Govt be so petty, to make sure they soldiers
arenot recieving this MASSIVE amount of benefits <sarcasm>
they dare charge these soldiers for thier meals while
in hospital IS JUST PLAIN MEAN !


All the while Haliburton pockets are stuffed WITH BILLION$

All the while Cheney's own pockets are stuffed WITH
over a MILLION DOLLAR$ a year by Haliburton.


Sick. Just sick.

[treepig]

6. and the troops reactions?

based on their reaction to previous cuts in benefits, it looks to be down-right enthusiasm . . . .

"When I look at the members of the United States military, I see the best of our country, and I am honored to be your Commander-In-Chief," Bush said. "I am equally honored that you are stoically accepting Congress' elimination of a large percentage of the benefits you were promised upon enlisting so that I can finance a massive tax cut."

The speech was brought to a temporary halt as the troops' enthusiastic cheers drowned out the public-address system. Bush then raised his hands to silence the crowd, his face turning somber.

"You have shown the world the skill and might of the American armed forces," Bush said. "You have exhibited a willingness to do what your country has asked of you. In return, I would like to personally show my gratitude by guaranteeing that your pension will not completely dry up until you turn 40."

As a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, Bush explained that the cuts were necessary to ensure that the servicemen who received aid were those who really needed it and not the parasites looking to take advantage of a bloated bureaucracy and veterans' welfare state.


http://www.theonion.com/onion3921/bush_visits_uss_truman.html

[benddem]

7. This is not new

The military has always charged patients for the meals they eat in the hospital...the rationale is that those who receive the monthly meal allowance (officers and married enlisted) should return money given them for their meals. It really isn't a charge...it is a takeback.
I'm not defending this...but I was stationed in Army Hospitals from 1966 on...and this has always been done.
What I always considered the real racket was that they charged you even if you didn't eat.
BTW Tricare has NOTHING to do with this...or Military Hospitals.
This is a Department of Defense policy:-) :-)

[Karenina]

10. Hauptpunkt:

"What I always considered the real racket was that they charged you even if you didn't eat."

[rocktivity]

14. This is an accounting problem

If double billing is the real problem, single billing is the solution. Just make that $8.10 a day transferable to wherever the solider goes.

[DrWeird]

9. God Bless those troops.

They fought for our capitalism.

[AP]

12. What do you want to bet that supply of meals has been privatized

Perhaps Kellogg Brown and Root or some other subsidiary of Haliburton is providing those meals.