VA Health Benefits Vaporize

A couple weeks ago I applied for VA health care benefits. Today I received a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs stating that I am a Priority 8 (lowest of 8 levels of priority) and due to insufficient resources, no Priority 8 veterans applying for enrollment are allowed to enroll if they applied after January 17, 2003. In other words, those of us veterans who are not retired from the military, are not broke, who don't have a service-connected disability and who applied after that date receive no health care no matter how long we served. This all boils down to there not being enough money in the pot for veterans. Apparently President Bush signed the 2004 budget which increased care for higher priority veterans at the expense of the Priority 8 veterans. While I understand the reasoning, it is still shocking to learn that my 7 1/2 years of active duty military service and status as an honorably discharged veteran no longer allow me to get free health care. I'm thankful I'm healthy and do not need care at the moment, but having been unemployed for some time, I had counted on a resource that I come to find is not there for me. More than me, there are apparently over 230,000 vets being turned away right now. Now, my priority would be higher if my income were less than 24,000 (approximately) dollars a year. Income is based on previous calendar year so the past 16 months where I've made no income and lost assets don't count. I'm still a Priority 8. The letter the VA sent me has a form for filing an appeal. I'll look into this. I just wonder what those folks who are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are going to find when they are discharged and go to seek health care? I suppose the assumption is that employers provide health care so veterans with decent health and decent income should not need VA services. Well, apparently there are 230-some thousand of us who do.