Health Care For Our Troops Byron

Health Care for our Troops

Byron Williams reports:

‘ WITH the percentage of American troops in Iraq who are National Guard or Reserve forces estimated at 40 percent, one in five National Guard members have no health care. The U.S. Government Accountability Office further estimates that this number rises to 40 percent when accounting for junior enlisted men and women. There are approximately 6,100 California National Guard members currently serving overseas in active duty.
State Treasurer Phil Angelides, along with Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, are sponsoring bill AB 1525 that will provide refundable income tax credit of up to $4,000 a year for health insurance premiums to cover Guard members and their families.

“It is shameful to ask these men and women to protect us if we won’t protect them against financial risk of sickness and injury,” Angelides said in a prepared statement. He added, “It is both patriotic and fair to salute our troops by giving them and their families access to basic, affordable health care.” ‘

What he said.