More cuts at Veterans Affairs as some services privatized

Medavie Blue Cross? With all due respect, what's the next goc third party? Butterflies-R-Us? pinger.

yup you got that right buds .

propat

The next cut is up to us! Which party would do the best for us?

The federal government eliminated 44 jobs Wednesday at Veterans Affairs, a move the employees’ union says is due to contracting out the treatment of former soldiers to the private sector.

The work done by the federal employees will now be taken over by a private insurance company, Medavie Blue Cross, said Carl Gannon, national president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees.

The employees in Vancouver, Montreal, Charlottetown and St. John’s, N.L., will be transferred to other jobs in the department.

“Our members aren’t going to be hurt but we’re worried that the veterans themselves will be,” Gannon said. “Veterans are being forced to deal with a private insurance company whose mandate is to try and deny claims.”

Gannon said that, previously, veterans were granted their treatment benefit claims after consultation with their doctors and a department case worker. Those benefits can include physiotherapy, massage therapy and psychological services.

But Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Janice Summerby noted in an email that “the government places the highest priority on making sure veterans and their families have the support and services they need, when they need it. This endeavor will streamline the process and cut down on red tape.

“This is a critical part of the new vision we are imparting into the department as part of the veteran-centric approach to service,” Summerby added.

Veterans Affairs Canada’s performance reports show that since 2009, over 900 jobs out of 4,000 have been cut.

The reports also show that many of the jobs have come out of the sections that administer pensions and awards or who are involved in veterans’ health and rehabilitation.

But Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Conservative MPs have insisted the cuts are for the better. Only “backroom jobs” have been eliminated, Harper has said.

There are more benefits and more money than ever before for veterans, he maintains.

But such statements haven’t stopped a groundswell of protest from veterans who counter that the Conservatives are in fact rolling back benefits. Former military personnel have been angered over cuts in services, closures of nine Veterans Affairs district offices, and delays in receiving benefits.

The union wants the government to reinstate the treatment authorization process back in the department. It is also calling on the government to reopen the district offices and put in place a moratorium on any further cuts at Veterans Affairs.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/more-cuts-at-veterans-affairs-as-some-services-privatized