The VA against the budget proposal cut of veterans benefits for disabled, unemployable
Article Image

The Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to back off the proposal that is in President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget, which intends to cut billions of dollars from the veterans’ programs that is concerned with provision of compensation to the country’s most disabled veterans.

The VA Secretary, David Shulkin while speaking to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee last Wednesday this week noted that he was ready to team up with the lawmakers in an effort to find an alternative option to the currently proposed $3.2 billion cut, targeted to the VA Individual Unemployability benefit. This announcement from Shulkin came after the country’s six largest veterans service organizations condemned the proposal that was in the president’s budget.

The American Legion which happens to be one of the big organisations for veterans and other groups have reported of receiving thousands of calls from frustrated veterans who are very concerned with the outcome of their lives ever since the proposal in the president’s budget was released in May. May have expressed alarm for the suggested cuts to their benefits as this will in turn change their livelihoods.

The money cut from the benefit is intended to provide finances to an updated version of the VA Choice program. The program allows the veterans to access health care services from private doctors. The Choice program is anticipated to be passed through Congress by the end of fiscal year 2017 on Sept. 30.  Though it has also faced many challenges with many saying it’s a scheme to promote privatisation of the VA health care services provision.

The VA seeks an estimate of $2.9 billion for the Choice Program. The only challenge the agency faces is where to get that amount of money well the only option right now is from the Individual Unemployability benefit. After the meeting with the Senate, Shulkin said that he will be holding more private meetings with the law makers to consider other ways to fund the new improved Choice program.

The President’s budget also proposes that the practice at the VA be reapplied hence be able to round down the veterans’ cost-of-living adjustments. This is estimated to make a savings of approximately $20 million in the coming year of 2018. The savings will also be channelled towards the new Choice program. Shulkin also mentioned that the round-down proposal is still be considered as a source of funds for the Choice Program.

The AMVETS National Director Joe Chenelly also reported of receiving close to 4,000 calls in the past few weeks from concerned veterans.

According to the president’s budget proposal, some of the veterans will have to be removed from the current VA’s Individual Unemployability benefit. As per now the veterans who are eligible for the program have a 60 to 100 percent disability rating. This means they are unable to secure employment because of their disability. This means they receive the highest compensation rate. The budget also proposed that some more veterans be removed from the program who are eligible for Social Security payments and have reached the minimum age to receive Social Security. This means that approximately 225,000 veterans aged 60 or older could be affected by the proposal, and out of those veterans, 7,000 are 80 years old or much older.