This could begin a new VA backlog

[Meddac]

If VA adds bladder cancer to the list of conditions presumptive to Agent Orange exposure then it could spell backlog (and Nehmer) once again for VA. Possibly a smaller backlog, but nonetheless a backlog. It's currently under review by VA once again.

https://www.propublica.org/article/vietnam-vets-push-va-to-link-bladder-cancer-to-agent-orange

I know there are many different pushes to have conditions or service areas added, but in my experience with VA they will attempt to take the smaller groups first. Go figure.

[Berta]

Kurt Priessman, the very first AO Thailand vet ( a RO decision) is directly responsible for the AO Thailand regs we have now.

He is a member at hadit. And we have as a member James Cripps  who is the first AO CONUS vet (BVA decision)

We did radio shows with both of them

And the VA AO ships list has grown many times since the first list came out ,but Danang Harbor as you know Meddac, is still something VA will not conceded AO exposure on (unless the Danang Harbor vet proves he went on land.

The attorney who has handled the latest Danang Harbor stuff is also a member here.

Geez that is disappointing about the JSRRC reps.

I have told many many vets to write to JSRRC themselves. They need to give details and a time frame as close as they can get.

If they are Vietnam vets

I always ask them if the stressor  was before or after the monsoons? What was Hanoi Hannah talking about ( she would spin on the USA news)

things like that could help pin point a date and my war map of Vietnam is here searchable if they need the correct spelling of a dong, bong, song, vill or river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2016 by Berta

[Buck52]

 Anyone read in any reliable publication that the A.O. time frame is running out for Vietnam Veterans?

Seems like I read something about this a year or so ago (forget what publication) but it stated that after a period of time, veterans from the Vietnam war will no longer be able to file a A.O. Claim,

With the exception of the A.O. Registry, being in the A.O.Registry  there is no time limit. 

Edited April 30, 2016 by Buck52

[TALON II FE]

56 minutes ago, Meddac said:

The ROs handle AO exposure so differently which adds to the broken system. Even within the RO it's handled differently. 

About 6 years ago I became one of 4 people on station that reviewed AO exposure cases. As a JSRRC (Joint Services Records Research Center) rep at the RO, I would concede exposure if a vessel's Deck Log indicated that anyone went ashore. I wouldn't have evidence of who went so it was a benefit of the doubt thing. Regulatory law prevents that position from conceding anything outside of what VA conceded. Benefit of the doubt was a workaround that I used, and had evidence to support it.

Veterans serving in Korea when and after AO was used, Blue Water Veterans and Veterans in Thailand should also be granted presumption to AO.

That scares the hell out of VA because that would be a massive backlog.

BTW, now the RO has over 20 JSRRC reps (that no longer get trained correctly) so it's a sea of opinions by a lot of people that that never served. The lead rep never even served.

Fortunately, for the VA, that backlog sorts itself out naturally as age and disease does it's part.  The longer they delay, the more the work 'does itself'. The VA is in the enviable position where your work takes care of itself if you ignore it.

[Berta]

Buck , when VA granted certain C123 pilots A0 exposure status ( All info available under a hadit search. Search for Wes Carter or C 123 AO)

last year ,I think the VA has tried to prevent them from any retro prior to a June 2015 date.

It would be great if someone could research all that....I am sure Military.com would have the latest and maybe this is what you mean?

 

[Buck52]

Ms berta

I believe it was on certain diseases?

which I stand corrected.

Eligible for Benefits Only if Disease Arises in a Certain Time Frame. Some diseases must have developed within certain time periods after leaving service for a veteran to qualify for presumptive service connection.

These diseases include:

• peripheral neuropathy (acute or subacute), which must have appeared within twelve months after exposure to Agent Orange and be cured within two years after the first appearance of symptoms
• chloracne, which must have appeared within one year after exposure to Agent Orange, and
• porphyria cutanea tarda, which must have manifested itself within one year after exposure to Agent Orange.

In addition, these diseases must be rated 10% or more disabling during the required time frame. To prove this, the veteran will have to provide medical evidence that doesn’t have to show a diagnosis necessarily, but that must show symptoms of the claimed illness.

 

Eligible for Benefits Whenever Disease Arises. For some diseases, no matter when the illness first developed, even if it is many years after military service, the veteran is eligible for presumptive service connection. This is true for some soft tissue sarcomas, all chronic B-cell leukemias, ischemic heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and many other cancers and diseases.

Visit the VA website to learn about all the currently recognized diseases associated with Agent Orange. New diseases are added periodically to this least based on research from the Institute of Medicine. Even if your disease isn’t on this list and you don’t think you have the evidence you need to prove your claim, still apply. That way, if your disease later gets recognized, you will have preserved an early effective date for benefits and will get a larger lump sum payment.

[Chuck75]

peripheral neuropathy can be secondary to other A.O. presumptive conditions, thus avoiding the time limits.

(IHD, DMII for example)