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With new 'AO' rule out, VA readies spigot of payments
By Tom Philpott Special to Stars and Stripes
Published: September 3, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs published its final regulation Aug. 31 for compensating Vietnam veterans with ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease or B-cell leukemia, or their surviving spouses.
Veterans diagnosed with these diseases only will have to show they stepped foot in Vietnam sometime from Jan. 9, 1962 through May 7, 1975, to qualify for service-connected disability ratings and compensation.
The first batch of payments will be made immediately after Oct. 30, when a required 60-day review period for Congress will expire.
As many as 93,000 veterans and survivors who filed claims previously for these conditions are in line for retroactive payments. Another 60,000 claims have been filed since Oct. 13, when VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that these diseases would be added to the list of ailments VA presumes are caused by wartime exposure to Agent Orange. VA projects that at least 150,000 more claims will be filed over the next 12 to 18 months.
More: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/with-new-ao-rule-out-va-readies-spigot-of-payments-1.116955
By Tom Philpott Special to Stars and Stripes
Published: September 3, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs published its final regulation Aug. 31 for compensating Vietnam veterans with ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease or B-cell leukemia, or their surviving spouses.
Veterans diagnosed with these diseases only will have to show they stepped foot in Vietnam sometime from Jan. 9, 1962 through May 7, 1975, to qualify for service-connected disability ratings and compensation.
The first batch of payments will be made immediately after Oct. 30, when a required 60-day review period for Congress will expire.
As many as 93,000 veterans and survivors who filed claims previously for these conditions are in line for retroactive payments. Another 60,000 claims have been filed since Oct. 13, when VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that these diseases would be added to the list of ailments VA presumes are caused by wartime exposure to Agent Orange. VA projects that at least 150,000 more claims will be filed over the next 12 to 18 months.
More: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/with-new-ao-rule-out-va-readies-spigot-of-payments-1.116955
