Blue Water Navy Veterans’ disability claims to be decided beginning Jan.1, 2020

[sneakypete]

https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/69370/blue-water-navy-veterans-disability-claims-now-decided/

Did you serve in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975? If so, then you’re considered a Blue Water Navy (BWN) Veteran.

On Jan. 1, 2020, the Blue Water Navy Act of 2019 goes into effect. This Act was signed into law on Jun. 25, and extends the presumption of herbicide exposure, such as Agent Orange, to BWN Veterans who served as far as 12 nautical miles from the shore of Vietnam and have since developed one of 14 conditions related to exposure. Some of these conditions include Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, many forms of cancer and others. You may now be eligible for disability compensation and other benefits. In addition, if you’re a Veteran who served in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between Sept. 1, 1967, and Aug. 31, 1971, you may also qualify for compensation and benefits for yourself and your family members.
How do I know if I’m eligible?

The best way to find out if you’re eligible is to work with an accredited claims representative or Veterans Affairs (VA) regional office to understand eligibility requirements before filing a claim. You don’t need to prove contact with herbicides to be eligible.
How do I file a claim for compensation benefits?

Continued at link

[sneakypete]

There are still a few living US Army and USMC vets who were on the ground in VN and operating in areas where the chemicals were sprayed that claim they are having a hard time getting AO benefits,and now the VA is going to give it to people who floated around off-shore and never got within 75 miles or more from where it was being sprayed?

I was one of the first VN vets to get AO disability,and I was medivaced from VN in 1969  for what they were calling "Tropical Acne" at the time. Had sores all over my torso,and pus dripping out of my armpits. I operated along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in both Laos and Cambodia in covert operations,and sometimes we had to refill our canteens in bomb craters in areas that had been sprayed. Even with all that and not being able to hold a steady job because of recurrences it took me over 10 years to get treatment at the VA for AO exposure,I was getting less than 50 bucks per month from the VA in disability,and was unable to draw unemployment because I was disabled.

Right now,at this very minute,I am facing over 100 grand in medical bills because of Stage 4 Lymphoma ,one of the key AO  diseases, because the freaking VA is refusing to pay my doctor,hospital,and surgical bills because I didn't file my claim within 48 hours of being hospitalized.  Or at least that is what I was told over the telephone by the VA claims department.

I found out I had Stage 4 cancer while in intensive care at a local hospital,recovering from heart surgery. I was literally told I have cancer and had an appointment with a local cancer surgeon on the same day  I was discharged from the hospital for the heart surgery,and the freaking VA wants to use THAT against me while now agreeing to pay AO compensation to people who were never at any risk at all?

This is all about the numbers and the VA budget,not the veterans. The VA budget got a big boost when AO became a "thing",and now most of us have already died or are dying off,and the VA is looking for new patients to fill that hole so their funding isn't reduced. Navy vets that age are at the age where a lot of bad things are happening to them,so they would be fools if they didn't take advantage of it. Works for them,works for the VA. Everybody is happy except for actual AO veterans.

Yeah,I am taking this personally.