Oregon Veterans Could Lose Coverage
A new report finds nearly a half-million veterans would lose health coverage over the next decade under the G-O-P’s health-care bills. About one-point-eight million veterans rely on Medicaid, according to an analysis by the Center for American Progress. Nearly a quarter of those vets would lose insurance under the American Health Care Act, the House version of the bill that aims to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Kate Gallagher Robbins, who authored the report, says the bills also would impact military families.
“There’s effects of service on family members as well as veterans themselves, including PTSD. There can be increased rates of domestic violence, and so there’s a variety of factors for which families might also need health care and may not be able to get it if the Senate or the House bills eventually became law.”
The Senate planned to vote on its version of the bill as soon as this week, but Republicans have gone back to the drawing board to gain more support for their effort. The analysis found about 67-hundred veterans in Oregon would lose coverage by 2026 under the House version of the bill. Robbins says the bills also weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions, which would impact veterans with service-related conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder or paralysis
“The way that the bills are structured, you could see really skyrocketing costs for veterans and their families, particularly if they have a very expensive condition. So, if you look at something like amputation, the cost of a prosthetic limb can rival the cost of a car.”
Nearly one in ten veterans is on Medicaid. A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the A-H-C-A found that by 2026, 23 million fewer Americans would have health insurance – most of them Medicaid recipients.
Siuslaw Jam Festival
The Florence Event Center will be hosting 2 nights of jazz music next Friday and Saturday, July 7th and 8th. Billed as the Siuslaw Jam. Joshua Greene was working on a film project documenting the Siletz Bay Music Festival and thought it would be a great idea to bring it down the coast to Florence. Green says this is not only music but part of our history. These musicians are some of the greatest that have played in our lifetime and on Friday evening they will share some of their stories:
“The guys are going to get up and talk about being on the road with Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington and guy like this and their history and stories like that, and then they’re going to go into song.”
Greene said that Saturday evening’s performance will be a little more formal, but tucked in between them will be a free Saturday matinee for Student musicians:
“This is an opportunity for young musicians to come and learn about the history of music and Jazz, Jazz music if you will, and then in the second half they will get to go onstage and jam with these amazing musicians we have coming to town.”
Shows are Friday and Saturday, July 7th and 8th. Tickets are available at the Florence Event Center.
Witness Says Confrontation Was Intense
We have yet to receive the official investigation from the Interagency Deadly Force Investigation Team on the altercation Saturday evening that ended in the death of Cameron Ollman. Ollman had hijacked a car on North Fork Road and was subsequently followed by police. Sargent Carrie Carver with the Lane County Sheriff’s office said that it is an extensive investigation and they hope to have some additional information on it by next week. Here in Florence there were some eyewitnesses to the account that attested to the tense nature of the event. Brian Cole said he was at his home when the incident parked itself just down from his driveway.
“I positioned myself so I would not be handling a stray bullet, so then I witnessed that battle.”
Cole says shots were exchanged and then the suspect sped away.
“and then the car, all of a sudden took off south right in front of my driveway as fast as he could go.”
Cole says the pursuit was not lacking in police presence.
“When he decided to take off there was probably 30 to 35 cop cars come down Munsel Lake Road right behind him.”
Coles says it looked as though the police were trying to lure Ollman away from homes so as not to unnecessarily endanger residents. Official findings may be ready as early as next week. Coast Radio news will update this story as new information becomes available.