Dear Mr. Lou Dobbs,

Just when I think I've heard it all, I hear about workers compensation in the
military!!!!!!!!!

Last week my daughter's friend who is an active soldier in the Air Force got
sick and was refused medical care at a base clinic here in the No. Calif.
Area. He had to wait all day for authorization to go to an outside hospital. He
finally got to go and at the end of his ER visit, he was given a workers comp
form to fill out. He was told that since he was an active duty Soldier he was
under workers comp.

That is perhaps the worker comp ZINGER of them all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It begs many questions.

Since when does an active duty military G.I. get covered by workers
compensation? Isn't the government responsible for his medical care? Isn't that part of
where our tax dollars go? Does the fact that his medical condition be billed
as workers comp make him a civilian?  All of his medical conditions are now
considered worker comp claims?

Will everybody now have access to ALL of his medical records because it's
under workers comp like it's done in the private sector? Only to be able to use
them against him later on as is done in the private sector, even though private
sector employees do not claim all medical conditions as injuries on the job.
That is done by the employers/insurance carriers, their lawyers and doctors
who want to discredit a claimant's real job related injury.

Are all soldiers medical conditions considered worker comp and does it apply
to all and anyone who ever has been in the military service? There are many
soldiers and their families who WERE in the military for many decades and who
were in many wars who should be considered for worker comp coverage! Can all
soldiers from the past claim workers compensation for any and all of their
medical conditions because they were active duty?

What about the soldiers overseas? ARE THEY considered workers comp claims if
they ARE injured in the war(s) like the ex-soldiers-mercenary's and Iraqi's who
receive up to 1047.00 per week for an injury or to his family in case of
death? These claims are paid back to the insurance carrier by the government, whereas
in the private sector the insurance carrier pays back the employer for the
claim. Who pays who and for what reason?

Will the government carrier litigate their claims as done in the private
sector? Does being under workers comp mean they are civilians and don't have
to be in a war? Can they leave their employ if they don't like their job
duties like fighting a war they were recruited into and perhaps under questionable
conditions? Were the soon to be soldiers told all their medical conditions
would be covered by workers compensation?

Does this mean that the military is now self-insured and privatized so they
can have the soldiers covered by workers compensation? So who pays for these
workers compensation claims and will they get the same medical care that private
employees get which is little to none? Will they be able to claim related
illnesses later on and be covered by workers comp after they leave the military?
Are there any settlements involved during or after they leave the military?

Who are the insurance companies that are in partnership with the military?
Who agreed to this? How many billions and maybe trillions do the
employers/insurance companies and military make every year? Were any legislators involved
from NCOIL-The National Conference of Insurance Legislation who discuss all
health related issues and then further discuss with the legislators for health
legislative bills to be enacted? Is this all legal? Is this ethical? Who and what
are really behind these money making operations?

Will these workers comp claims make more money for the military through
investments-via wall street with payback dividends by the insurance carriers as
does the self-insured employers in the private sector?

Will the soldiers have lifetime medical plus permanent disability
compensation should they have a permanent disability related or unrelated to a job
injury? Is this a giant theft like what happens in the private sector where the
employer and it's doctors and lawyers makes money off the claim and the injured
get almost nothing for their permanent injuries? Then the taxpayers pay for them
again and again through Medicaid, Medicare, general assistance and social
security?

Are these soldiers even aware that they are treated as private citizens and
that they have any compensation coming to them for life if they're disabled as
in the private sector?

Will these soldiers all be considered frauds and criminals like the injured
workers are in the private sector when an injured worker automatically fills
out a claim per the state's labor codes?

Employers FUND BILLIONS every year to insurance companies to fight-litigate
worker comp claims to the NICB-NATIONAL INSTITUTE CRIME BUREAU WHICH IS A
NON-PROFT ORGANIZATION CREATED BY THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY. IS the military adding to
those funds with taxpayer dollars?

This looks like a major conflict of interest. It looks like an unbelievable
ripoff of American tax dollars and a profound look as to why there were so
many soldiers recruited in the last decade or so, why we went to war and why
these soldiers are put at severe risk of losing their limbs and their lives!

Who does this profit and why?

Please remember to mention the author of this letter should you air any of
this information on your show.

Sincerely,

Dina Padilla
President of VOICES-BEST-Ca. Chapter
KPRC-Bd Member.
CIAW-Bd Member
1-916-725-2673