3 Ao Presumptives Published ?

[vperl]

Someone needs to check this out...

Canton Daily Ledger Posted May 03, 2010 @ 05:56 PM LEWISTOWN — On Oct. 13, 2009, the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced his decision to establish presumption of service connection for three additional illnesses (Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease, and B cell leukemia) associated with Agent Orange/herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

On March 25, 2010, the VA published a proposed regulation in the Federal Register as part of the process to implement the decision to add those three diseases to the list of presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange/herbicide exposure.

The final regulation will affect a large number of Vietnam veterans, estimated to be at least 200,000 veterans.

"This is an important step forward in ensuring that Vietnam veterans are justly compensated for the adverse effects suffered by exposure to Agent Orange during their service to our country," said Andy Fyffe, superintendent of Fulton County Veterans Assistance Commission, in a press release.

Veteran service officers should file presumptive claims now for these conditions without waiting for the completion of the regulation process, the press release from Fyffe added. Filing these claims prior to the publication of the final regulation is important for effective purposes and it also allows VA to start the claims development process (conducting VA examinations, requesting supporting evidence, etc.) to allow for timely adjudication once the final regulation has been published.

Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation (VA&R) staff are in the process of reviewing the proposed regulation for public comment. A more detailed VA&R Bulletin containing effective date and other information will be issued following the publication of the final regulation.

In the meantime, direct questions or concerns to Ian de Planque, assistant director for Claims Service, VA&R, at ideplanque@legion.org or (202) 263-5762 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 263-5762 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; or contact the Fulton County Veterans Assistance office at 309-547-7262 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 309-547-7262 end_of_the_skype_highlighting for a copy of the official bulletin released by the VA.

Also, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a warning in American Legion Bulletin 16-10 to veterans not to disclose personal information over the phone to callers claiming to update, confirm, or verify VA-related information.

VA reports the fraudulent caller's mode of operation include asking for credit card numbers, bank routing number, and other personal and financial information. A recent fraudulent call reported by a veteran included the caller claiming to be a VA employee and stating that the veteran's medical card had expired. The caller would then ask the veteran to submit a check over the phone to renew the medical card.

VA warns to be leery of any call originating from (888) 555-1234 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (888) 555-1234 end_of_the_skype_highlighting for it is the number identified in the case above.Veterans with questions about VA services should contact the Veterans Administration at (877) 222-8387 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (877) 222-8387 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or their nearest VA medical center.

The Fulton County VAC office is located at 132 N. Adams St., Lewistown.

Copyright 2010 Canton Daily Ledger. Some rights reserved http://www.cantondailyledger.com/news/x1540368784/VA-publishes-proposed-Agent-Orange-presumption-regulation-for-conditions-warns-veterans-about-fraudulent-callers

[vperl]

Read that long ago... was bussy laughing as the date went farther and farther out..... was waiting for a review by the supremes.... at 325 RVN Vets eating the dirt everey day they can save a few bucks for more TARP giveaways....

Suggest you refer to Veterans Benifits Forum, AO Forum and read post 5-14-10 by LULA. It is a letter from the Secretaries office explaining the current status of the final regulation and a possible secondary process. It is entitled "Response to my E-mail to Secretary of the VA. It made my day.

[Donna]

I understand where we are I think. It will be late June before the rule change goes to the OMB. They have up to 90 days to review it, then it will only take about a week for the rules to be published. Claims are being developed now I think and will be sent to the Ratings officer after publishing. So the way it looks, the earliest that anyone will hear anything about their claim is October. Do you all agree? ;)

[Sgt Schmidt]

Donna,

I'm thinking you're right on your statement about October being the earliest any of us will hear something on our claim. I have 5 claims pending and the last I checked 3 of them were ready to go in front of the review board. One of them being for IHD. That's what I was told by my VARO about 2 months ago. Yep, still waiting. :D

I'm trying to keep my composure so I don't go looney even though some of my friends and family say I already have. ;)

Jeff

[Donna]

My husband has reopened a previously denied claim for IHD and now has a AICD implant. His claim was denied in 2006 and reopened in April 2010. So there will be retro invloved. We just wait, read and learn. We keep very busy with grandkids. We were completley unaware of much of the VA terminology so we had alot of learning to do. Good luck on your claims and best of health to you.

[Donna]

The training manual was interesting reading. It looks like they will be isolating the Nehmer claims and give them priority. It also looks like they are making an effort to get things right the first time. Fingers crossed.

[Pete53]

I know a two tour Marine who was exposed to Agent Orange and he has lupus like symptoms has to take steroids and his skin bruises and is paper thing on arms and face but it is not on the list. I think it should be also his son had juvenile diabetes and his daughter has the lupus like symptoms. There is a lot about Agent Orange that the VA knows but does not talk about.