DISASTER: Veteran Care Failures, Obamacare Link

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new web video produced by Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) highlights one U.S. military veteran's difficulties in receiving care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—an illustration of the dysfunctional performance Americans can soon expect under President Obama's controversial health care law.

The 60-second video—running online throughout the 9^th district for the next 2 weeks—is entitled Government Health Care Equals Disaster and includes testimony from Charles and Kat Skipper, both of whom are Floridians and military veterans who served in multiple conflicts. Charles Skipper, who earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his U.S. Army service in Vietnam, suffers from both physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. He submitted a VA disability claim six years ago, which remains unresolved.

"Charles Skipper is an American hero—and yet he has been routinely mistreated by VA," said Pete Hegseth, CEO of CVA. "Unfortunately, Mr. Skipper's difficulties with the VA are shared by hundreds of thousands of other veterans who face long wait times, endless bureaucracy and poor service."

Hegseth noted that the dysfunctional performance of the VA has been well-documented. But instead of fixing that failing system, Washington is prepared to pour billions of dollars into a nationalized health care plan that will bring the same bureaucratic dysfunction to the larger U.S. health care market.

"Our political leaders must fulfill the promises they've made veterans," Hegseth said. "If they aren't willing to do that, then the politicians who foisted Obamacare on the American people should at least answer one simple question: If they can't fix VA, what right do they have to 'fix' health care for the rest of the nation?"

The video, which is targeted at Florida's Ninth Congressional District, represented by Rep. Alan Grayson—an Obamacare supporter—urges viewers to contact Grayson and register their concern about the troubled health care law.

The video is available on YouTube, where embed codes are available for media organizations and others who would like to share the Skippers' story.

VIDEO URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV23c-FHkXQ

Concerned Veterans for America is a nation-wide, non-profit veteran's organization established to advocate for policies that will preserve the freedom, liberty, and prosperity that veterans and their families have so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend. Since April of 2012, over 152,000 Americans have joined CVA on Facebook.

Video with caption: "A new web video produced by Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) highlights one U.S. military veteran's difficulties in receiving care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—an illustration of the dysfunctional performance Americans can soon expect under President Obama's controversial health care law." Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV23c-FHkXQ

Media Contacts:
CJ Wheeler | [email protected] or (703) 307-1981
Matt Schuck | [email protected] or (703) 307-3680
 

SOURCE Concerned Veterans for America