Changes in Agent Orange benefits impact veterans

Because of ongoing changes in benefits from the United States and Minnesota Departments of Veterans Affairs, the Echo Press has agreed to assist me in getting the word out to veterans on changes by doing a monthly article.

There are not only changes in benefits but there are also veterans’ benefits that are under utilized and I am looking forward to this as an opportunity to reach as many veterans as possible.

This month I would like to address the changes in disabilities that are recognized by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as presumed disabilities from exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.

The three new disabilities that are being recognized are ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B cell leukemias such as hairy cell leukemia. This brings to 15 disabilities that are recognized as Agent Orange related.

Veterans have until August 31, 2011 to apply for these new conditions and the effective date of any benefits awarded will be August 31, 2010. If a veteran previously applied for disability compensation for any of the new issues, the effective date could be earlier. Surviving spouses are also entitled to apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) if their spouse would have died from any of these conditions.

To qualify for disabilities related to Agent Orange, a veteran generally must have served in country in Vietnam meaning they must prove that they actually set foot on land in Vietnam. There have been ongoing court cases involving veterans who served on the ships in the waters off of Vietnam. These veterans are referred to as Blue Water Veterans and are generally Navy veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded Agent Orange benefits to some of these veterans and the VA is now referring to them as Brown Water Veterans because they must have served on the inland waters of Vietnam or docked at one of the ports. We have a list of the vessels that are now being recognized as having served in the inland waters establishing the presumption for exposure to Agent Orange.

Agent Orange was also utilized in the Korean demilitarized zone and those veterans who served in specific units in the DMZ from April 1, 1968 to August 31, 1971 also qualify for presumption of disabilities for that service.

To find out more information about Agent Orange benefits as well as all benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA has a very useful website: www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange.

You can also contact our office. We are located in the Douglas County Services Center and you enter at the 809 Elm Street entrance. Our telephone number is (320) 762-3883. Our office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We look forward to answering your questions about benefits related to Agent Orange as well as all benefits available from the United States and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tags: agent orange, news