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Title: Cost of treating transgender troops called negligible
Source:
USA Today
URL Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/co ... ble/ar-BBlGGB6?ocid=spartandhp
Published: Aug 12, 2015
Author: staff
Post Date: 2015-08-12 22:14:01 by buckeroo
Keywords: None
Views: 824
Comments: 9
The cost of medical care will be a key factor as the Pentagon develops a plan to integrate transgender troops, which it announced last month. Defense Secretary Ash Carter gave his staff six months to work out details to allow them to serve openly, which current policy does not allow. The article, "Caring for Our Transgender Troops — The Negligible Cost of Transition-Related Care," was written by Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, which researches issues regarding sexual orientation issues in the military. The military spends nearly $48 billion on health care, Belkin writes. He estimated 188 troops will require gender transition-related care each year at a cost of $5.6 million, or $438 per transgender service member per year. The relatively cheap treatment should allay concerns about the cost of rescinding the ban, Belkin said in an interview. "I was particularly surprised at the number in the context of what the military overall spends on health care," Belkin said. Four years ago, the Pentagon eliminated Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which prohibited gay and lesbian troops from serving openly and is borrowing similar tactics to dismantle the ban on transgender troops. For instance, the Pentagon recently made it more difficult to discharge transgender troops by requiring a high-ranking civilian to make the decision. That tactic effectively acted as a moratorium on dismissals of gay and lesbian troops. Some transgender troops are serving openly with the knowledge of their commanders and some are receiving treatment, Belkin said. Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, a non-partisan government spending watchdog, said the Pentagon should consider cost-cutting elsewhere if it takes on the responsibility of treating transgender troops. "If transition-related care is deemed a necessity, then preserving other vital health services for the troops should mean finding lower-priority items to cut so service people and taxpayers are protected," Sepp said. The Pentagon should also consider tapping non-profit groups for funding for transition care. In June, the American Medical Association weighed in on transgender troops, adopting a policy that states there are no valid medical reasons to prevent them from serving and affirming that they should receive medical care. Belkin relied on data from employers whose insurance plans offered care to transgender workers, including hormone treatment and surgery. It cost just shy of $30,000 for University of California employees and their dependents transition-related care over 6.5 years. He also noted that the Australian military treats its transgender troops. Over 30 months, 13 of its 58,000 troops received gender transition therapy. Australia is one of 18 countries that allow transgender troops to serve openly, according to the Palm Center. Moreover, the U.S. government already pays for some transgender therapies. Medicare, federal health care for those 65 and older, provides transgender therapy, including surgery. The Veterans Affairs Department also treats veterans with gender dysphoria, a conflict between a person's sex at birth and the gender he or she identifies with. It is OK to staturate the American taxpayer with endless, needless taxes to pay for bullshit; this is where the article is heading. WASHINGTON — Treating the military's estimated 12,800 transgender troops with hormone therapy and surgery will cost about $5.6 million a year, a tiny amount compared with overall spending on military health care, according to an article published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.
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#1. To: buckeroo (#0)
It's not the financial cost that is objectionable. It's the support and jumping on the bandwagon of a pathologically diseased cultural social psychology that has produced an extensive population of people who are uncertain whether they are men, women, or something vaguely somewhere in between.
Won't this make a total mess of differing physical qualifications set for men and women? Will they even be able to have physical qualifications in the military (or police, fire departments, etc.)? It's likely to produce a generation of soldiers, cops and firefighters that are the most physically unfit ever.
It's likely to produce a generation of soldiers, cops and firefighters that are the most physically unfit ever. If it's politically correct who cares??? /s Transgender is a mental disease. We aren't all equal... we shouldn't be treated as equals.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Well I am glad to say these types of madness are no longer my concern. However, the military will weather the storm as they always do. Physical fitness standards rarely change and while I was in when they did change they raised the bar...got tougher. So I don't think the standards will go down. Which standard to follow is the matter. A man going to a she? Do they use the male standards or the female standards? Knowing the military they will overpay for some team of lib transgender physiologists to 'guide' the miltary on how to act with regards to transgenders. Time will tell. Of course the Brits faced this already...Have a Brit officer coming in for training next week. Maybe I will strike up a casual conversation and ask him about it:) I'll stock the office with some Earl Grey and sugar cubes (lumps). Might help the conversation a bit. I know the last Brit officer I worked with told me some SGM got a sex change, then came back to the same unit and paraded on the field in his new 'dress' uniform skirt and all. He was laughed off the parade field. So the Brits do keep some perspective on this matter:) "When Americans reach out for values of faith, family, and caring for the needy, they're saying, "We want the word of God. We want to face the future with the Bible.'"---Ronald Reagan
You'll have to fill us in on the verdict. Lol@ Earl Grey and "lumps." OTOH, might be awkward if the British officer you'll be receiving is...transgender. Or a dyke. I know the last Brit officer I worked with told me some SGM got a sex change, then came back to the same unit and paraded on the field in his new 'dress' uniform skirt and all. He was laughed off the parade field. So the Brits do keep some perspective on this matter:) But...how long ago was that? If that happened these days, might there be disciplinary action for those who laugh nowadays? In BOTH nations? Dunno how far the insanity has crept into the officer corp.
Don't forget the lemon. Three assertions....that blow peoples' minds. The "truth" is the mortal enemy of liars.
Already met him. He's male and straight as an arrow...as far as we know:) But...how long ago was that? If that happened these days, might there be disciplinary action for those who laugh nowadays? In BOTH nations? Dunno how far the insanity has crept into the officer corp. That was about 5 years ago...Yeah things can change but the British Army is a small community and units stay intact over the years. Not a lot of moving around of the chaps from one unit to the other. "When Americans reach out for values of faith, family, and caring for the needy, they're saying, "We want the word of God. We want to face the future with the Bible.'"---Ronald Reagan
Cost of treating transgender troops called negligible
#2. To: buckeroo, redleghunter, GrandIsland (#0)
#3. To: TooConservative (#2)
Won't this make a total mess of differing physical qualifications set for men and women? Will they even be able to have physical qualifications in the military (or police, fire departments, etc.)?
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#4. To: TooConservative (#2)
#5. To: TooConservative, CZ82, GarySpFc, sneakypete, tomder55 (#2)
Won't this make a total mess of differing physical qualifications set for men and women? Will they even be able to have physical qualifications in the military (or police, fire departments, etc.)?
#6. To: redleghunter (#5)
(Edited)
Of course the Brits faced this already...Have a Brit officer coming in for training next week. Maybe I will strike up a casual conversation and ask him about it:) I'll stock the office with some Earl Grey and sugar cubes (lumps). Might help the conversation a bit.
#7. To: redleghunter (#5)
Earl grey
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#8. To: GrandIsland (#4)
Transgender is a mental disease. We aren't all equal... we shouldn't be treated as equals.
#9. To: Liberator (#6)
Lol@ Earl Grey and "lumps." OTOH, might be awkward if the British officer you'll be receiving is...transgender. Or a dyke.
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