Proposal could cut nursing care for veterans

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Representative Dan Boren says he's concerned the Bush administration will resubmit a proposal that would make many veterans ineligible for state nursing home care.<br/><br/>Boren

Sunday, July 17th 2005, 1:38 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Representative Dan Boren says he's concerned the Bush administration will resubmit a proposal that would make many veterans ineligible for state nursing home care.

Boren says the proposal is "an outrage" that would deny long-term care to a large percentage of Oklahoma's veterans.

In its budget earlier this year, the VA proposed that long-term nursing care in state veterans homes be limited to those with service connected injuries or disabilities.

Boren says the latest estimates show that 916 out of 1,366 veterans would be ineligible under the proposal.

Congress is racing to provide the VA about $3-billion in additional funds that weren't requested in the president's budget this year.

Many lawmakers say they knew the VA budget wasn't adequate when it was submitted.