Veterans Should Have Health Coverage

This Veteran’s Day we honor those who serve and have served our country. Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect our independence, our freedom, and all the rights we hold dear. Now is the time to fight for them by ensuring they have access to health coverage.

Nationally, one in 10 veterans are without health insurance and do not use Veterans administration health care. Nearly a million veterans and their spouses have incomes low enough to qualify for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In Nebraska there are 29,000 uninsured veterans and their spouses that would qualify for an expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. This is what is known as the “coverage gap” – hardworking people without employer-sponsored health insurance and living in states that are denying them access to health care coverage.

Nebraska has chosen not to take advantage of Medicaid coverage for working adults with low incomes – to date, Nebraska has left nearly $300 million dollars on the table to pay for the health care in other states and denied access to health care for thousands of our friends, neighbors, and family members, including thousands of veterans.

Our veterans have kept our nation safe and secure. Veteran’s Day serves as a reminder of the debt we owe all our veterans. One way we can help repay that debt is to ensure that all veterans have access to health care coverage.