Making life a little better every day

[NJmaverick]

With very little fanfare, president Obama today signed an incredibly moving legislation.

The 'Caregives and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act' is full with steps that will provide great relief to wounded soldiers coming home.

Here's what's in the bill:

1. Expanding mental health counseling and services for veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq, including National Guardsmen and Reservists.
2. Authorizing the VA to utilize hospitals and clinics outside the VA system to serve more wounded warriors with traumatic brain injury.
3. Increasing support to veterans in rural areas, with the transportation and housing they need to reach VA hospitals and clinics.
4. Expanding and improving health care for women’s veterans, including maternity care for newborn children.
5, Launching a pilot program to provide child care for veterans receiving intensive medical care.
6. Eliminating co-pays for veterans who are catastrophically disabled.
7, Expanding support to homeless veterans.
8, Caregivers for a severely injured veteran from Afghanistan or Iraq, will now receive a stipend and other assistance, including lodging when they travel for their loved one’s treatment. They'll get training to provide specialized services, counseling, and if they don’t have health insurance, it will be provided. If they need a break, they'll get up to 30 days of respite care each year.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/5/16276/18324

[cliffordu]

1. They ought to be shouting this one from the rooftops.

[kelly1mm]

3. While certainly a GREAT bill, it is not really a partisan issue in that

the legislation had bi-partisan sponsorship and no "no" votes were cast by members of any party. Agree that it should be shouted from the rooftops though, I am sure the repubs will be doing so.

[mucifer]

8. not true bush and the republicans were blocking this over the past several years.

[Dr Morbius]

2. I suspect it's not being loudly touted because it is clearly so long overdue. (nt)

[cliffordu]

4. I guess the shame from that is enough to keep it on the DL....

:eyes:

[LiberalAndProud]

5. We musn't celebrate because we did it too late?

Hell of a week for Obama, don't you think?

[Dr Morbius]

6. I'm not saying that. I suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg...

...when it comes to plugging the holes in veterans' affairs. I just think touting this as a big deal might easily create responses of "too little, too late." It's certainly not enough, and who can defend letting this wait for the fourteen months it took to pass a healthcare bill nobody really likes?

Good for Obama and the Democratic party for getting this done. I mean that, really. And maybe Obama's not waving it around as a major accomplishment because he knows he hasn't been an especially good friend to veterans so far.

[QC]

7. Would you say that the White House or the Congress gets primary credit for this? n/t

[QC]

9. Would you say that the White House or the Congress gets primary credit for this? n/t

[Cha]

10. Another reason I'm thrilled that President Obama

was elected.

[QC]

11. Would you say that the White House or the Congress gets primary credit for this? n/t

[depakid]

12. I think you know the answer to that question...

along with everyone else.

[QC]

13. Yes, but it would be good to hear it from the horse's, um, mouth. n/t

[depakid]

14. If it's "good," then a certain someone gets the credit, if "not so good"

someone else is almost always assigned the blame....

[QC]

15. It's a very convenient little system, isn't it? n/t