The final rule, to be published in Tuesday's Federal Register, states VA will presume veterans with Parkinson's Disease, ischemic heart disease and all chronic B cell leukemia have been exposed to Agent Orange.
Full Article at: VA announces change in Agent Orange benefit claims process
By Emily Long elong@govexec.com August 30, 2010
The Veterans Affairs Department is easing the standards under which Vietnam War veterans qualify for benefits related to Agent Orange exposure.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki on Monday announced the department is adding three illnesses to the list of conditions for which veterans aren't required to demonstrate a connection to military service. The final rule, to be published in Tuesday's Federal Register, states VA will presume veterans with Parkinson's Disease, ischemic heart disease and all chronic B cell leukemia have been exposed to Agent Orange.
Shinseki's decision is based on a 2008 study from the Institute of Medicine on health problems Agent Orange causes. Veterans who served in Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to the herbicide.
VA expects more than 150,000 veterans to submit Agent Orange claims in the next 12 to 18 months and will review approximately 90,000 previously denied claims."
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