VA shortfall $2.7B in 2006

[acmejack]

From CQ Midday Newsletter (Bugmenot required)

"The shortfall in funding for veterans’ health care is likely to total $2.7 billion in fiscal 2006, more than double the gap anticipated for this year, the administration conceded today.

Senate Republicans were preparing to offer an amendment to the fiscal 2006 Interior spending measure to address the current year’s $1 billion shortfall, according to Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Larry E. Craig, R-Idaho.

The House last month passed the fiscal 2006 spending bill (HR 2528) that funds the VA. It provided more than $28 billion for the Veterans Health Administration, about $1 billion more than the administration had sought. But it was only last week that members were told of the shortfall for fiscal 2005 — and not until today that they learned the size of next year’s gap.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson today provided the latest shortfall calculation to worried lawmakers. “There’s a huge hole in the Veterans Administration health care funding, and it is growing,” said David R. Obey of Wisconsin, ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee."

[CAG]

1. All Bush has to do is tell the 'murikan people that he increases funding

and they buy hook, line, and sinker.

What americans don't realize is that the veteran population that is seeking VA care continues to rise due to the war and loss of insurance; and that the VA, even though they do a better job of controlling costs than most private providers, still is hit hard by the usual 10% annual increase in cost of health care (thanks to the Bushie contributors such as big pharma, and health insurance companies).