MONROE -The Green County Veterans Service Office is announcing that the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs has recently added to the list of "presumptive" diseases related to exposure to Agent Orange by Veterans who served in Vietnam at anytime between 1962 and 1975.
The 3 new diseases are B Cell Leukemia's, Parkinson's disease and Ischemic Heart Disease.
This brings the total number of medical conditions to 15. Other diseases on the list include, but are not limited to, Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2), Prostate Cancer, and Respiratory and other Cancers. A complete list is available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp or by contacting your County Veterans Service Office.
The VA presumes that all military personnel who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange, and federal law presumes that certain illnesses are a result of that exposure.
This "presumptive policy" simplifies the process of receiving compensation for these diseases since the VA foregoes the normal requirements of proving that an illness began or was worsened during military service.
The VA has already started granting benefit claims, and is currently processing those that have not yet been granted.
The benefits available include free health care for issues related to Agent Orange, and the possibility of monetary compensation depending on the severity of the illness.
There may also be the possibility of benefits to the Surviving Spouse of Vietnam Veterans where the cause of death was related to one of the listed conditions.
The Green County Veterans Service Office can be reached at (608) 328-9415.
The 3 new diseases are B Cell Leukemia's, Parkinson's disease and Ischemic Heart Disease.
This brings the total number of medical conditions to 15. Other diseases on the list include, but are not limited to, Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2), Prostate Cancer, and Respiratory and other Cancers. A complete list is available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp or by contacting your County Veterans Service Office.
The VA presumes that all military personnel who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange, and federal law presumes that certain illnesses are a result of that exposure.
This "presumptive policy" simplifies the process of receiving compensation for these diseases since the VA foregoes the normal requirements of proving that an illness began or was worsened during military service.
The VA has already started granting benefit claims, and is currently processing those that have not yet been granted.
The benefits available include free health care for issues related to Agent Orange, and the possibility of monetary compensation depending on the severity of the illness.
There may also be the possibility of benefits to the Surviving Spouse of Vietnam Veterans where the cause of death was related to one of the listed conditions.
The Green County Veterans Service Office can be reached at (608) 328-9415.