I understand that my health insurance cost me about $8,000.00 per year and yes, having the VA is a big boost. However, I still don't believe its up to the government to provide us with health insurance or health care. Perhaps if the government were to offer a voluntary health insurance program I could agree with that.

By the way, I still don't think I "earned" anything. I think I had the obligation to do what I did, obligations don't come with lifetime benefits.

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

People choose to make things complicated when in fact simplicity ought to be everyones starting point on every issue.

Veterans signed a contract to do a job and that job paid *X* and it also gave temporary benefits of *Y* and it gave lifetime benefits of *Z*. This was all part of the contract just like any other job a person may have. I do not think contracts ought to be changed after they have expired and 1 party has already fulfilled their end of that contract.

However, I do agree with changing future contracts if it is the over all best interest of everyone involved. In the case of veterans, all parties involved would also include taxpayers.

So, in conclusion, We need to not change existing contracts but instead create better ones for the future.

I would like to discuss this with you further, but I don't wish to distract from the thread. If your interested, please let me know. I don't want to get into the mumbo jumbo of single payer, socialist medicine. but rather a general overview of what we owe our country, and our countries obligation to us.