Obama focuses on veterans
Friday, January 27, 2006
JOLIET HERALD NEWS
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs denied health care to 8,944 Illinois veterans last year as part of a Bush administration cost-cutting policy begun in 2003. Nationally, more than 260,000 veterans were denied access to VA hospitals, clinics and medications in fiscal year 2005.
Since Jan. 17, 2003, the VA has refused to admit moderate-income veterans who do not have a service-connected disability, Obama said.
The VA's cutoff income varies by county.
According to Obama, the income cutoff and total veteran populations for area counties are: Grundy, $38,900, 3,514; Kendall, $40,250, 4,544; and Will, $40,250, 38,324.