What is “Presumptive” Service Connection?
The Department of Veterans Affairs presumes that specific disabilities diagnosed in certain veterans were caused by their military service. The VA does this because of the unique circumstances of their military service. If one of these conditions is diagnosed in a veteran in one of these groups, VA presumes that the circumstances of his/her service caused the condition, and disability compensation can be awarded. DIC education and CHAMPVA for spouses of veterans rated 100% or surviving souses late-veterans that died from discussed medical problems
What Conditions are “Presumed” to be caused by their Military Service?
Veterans in the groups identified below: Entitlement to disability compensation may be presumed under the circumstances described and for the conditions listed.
Veterans within one year of release from active duty: Individuals diagnosed with chronic diseases (such as arthritis, diabetes, or hypertension) are encouraged to apply for disability compensation.
Veterans with 90 plus days of active duty and suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig's disease.
Veterans deployed to the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations from August 2, 1990, to July 31, 1991: Individuals diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig's disease is encouraged to apply for disability compensation.
Former
Prisoners of War
Vietnam Veterans
(Exposed to
Agent Orange)
Atomic Veterans
(Exposed to Ionizing Radiation)
Gulf War Veterans
(Undiagnosed Illness)
(1) Imprisoned for any length of time, and disability at least 10 percent disabling:
· psychosis
· any of the anxiety states
· dysthymic disorder
· organic residuals of frostbite
· post-traumatic osteoarthritis
· heart disease or hypertensive vascular disease and their complications
· stroke and its residuals
(2) Imprisoned for at least 30 days, and disability at least 10 percent disabling:
· avitaminosis
· beriberi
· chronic dysentery
· helminthiasis
· malnutrition (including optic atrophy)
· pellagra
· any other nutritional deficiency
· irritable bowel syndrome
· peptic ulcer disease
· peripheral neuropathy
· cirrhosis of the liver
Served in the Republic of Vietnam between 1/9/62 and 5/7/75:
· chloracne or other acneform disease similar to chloracne*
· porphyria cutanea tarda*
· soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma or mesothelioma)
· Hodgkin's disease
· multiple myeloma
· respiratory cancers (lung, bronchus, larynx, trachea)
· non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
· prostate cancer
· acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy*
· type 2 diabetes
· chronic lymphocytic leukemia
*Must become manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within a year after the last date on which the veteran was exposed to an herbicide agent during active military, naval, or air service.
Participated in atmospheric nuclear testing; occupied or was a POW in Hiroshima or Nagasaki; service before 2/1/92 at a diffusion plant in Paducah, KY, Portsmouth, OH, or Oak Ridge, TN; or service before 1/1/74 at Amchitka Island, AK:
· all forms of leukemia (except for chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
· cancer of the thyroid, breast, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary tract (renal pelves, ureter, urinary bladder and urethra), brain, bone, lung, colon, ovary
· bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma
· multiple myeloma
· lymphomas (other than Hodgkin's disease)
· primary liver cancer (except if cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated)
Served in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during the Gulf War with condition at least 10 percent disabling by 12/31/11. Included are medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses defined by a cluster of signs or symptoms that have existed for six months or more, such as:
· chronic fatigue syndrome
· fibromyalgia
· irritable bowel syndrome
· any diagnosed or undiagnosed illness that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines warrants a presumption of service connection
Signs or symptoms of an undiagnosed illness include: fatigue, skin symptoms, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, neurological symptoms, respiratory symptoms, sleep disturbance, GI symptoms, cardiovascular symptoms, weight loss, menstrual disorders
For more Information, contact the County of Humboldt Veterans Service office at 445-7341
Or the VA @ 1-800-827-1000
Showing posts with label Veterans benefits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veterans benefits. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
North Coast Veterans Stand Down
For three brief days local volunteers, community leaders and families will be providing the respect, honor and empowerment for our veterans and their families. Volunteers from all over the north coast will gather at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds, veterans and civilians alike, to provide services that has changed the lives of veterans at previous North Coast Stand-downs.
Our mission is to support all veterans. To this end we provide free food, earned benefit information, lodging, haircuts, transportation, referral services and supplies. Perhaps even more important, you will be among a group of people who appreciate what you have done for your country. The camaraderie that results is just another positive reason to be here. It is our hope that we can provide them with whatever it takes to make their lives easier, and the lives of your spouses and children. Widows of veterans will find counselors available to help them sort through the benefits they are entitled to.
They have served our country and now it's time for it to come through for them. There's a lot of reasons why we have these stand downs, and they all amount to the same overall goal; to reach out to all veterans and to welcome them home.
This stand down is for them. From a grateful community. A special "Welcome Home" programs to our newest generation of veterans is planned for October 4th, at noon. Additional volunteers are needed, and civic groups and local businesses are encouraged to sponsor the meals being served to over 300 veterans and their families. For information on a this community service program: planned for October 3rd through the 5th, 2008, either attending and/or supporting our communities efforts, please contact our Director, Kim Hall 707) 826-6191 or director@northcoaststanddown.org or visit our website http://www.northcoaststanddown.org/.
Our mission is to support all veterans. To this end we provide free food, earned benefit information, lodging, haircuts, transportation, referral services and supplies. Perhaps even more important, you will be among a group of people who appreciate what you have done for your country. The camaraderie that results is just another positive reason to be here. It is our hope that we can provide them with whatever it takes to make their lives easier, and the lives of your spouses and children. Widows of veterans will find counselors available to help them sort through the benefits they are entitled to.
They have served our country and now it's time for it to come through for them. There's a lot of reasons why we have these stand downs, and they all amount to the same overall goal; to reach out to all veterans and to welcome them home.
This stand down is for them. From a grateful community. A special "Welcome Home" programs to our newest generation of veterans is planned for October 4th, at noon. Additional volunteers are needed, and civic groups and local businesses are encouraged to sponsor the meals being served to over 300 veterans and their families. For information on a this community service program: planned for October 3rd through the 5th, 2008, either attending and/or supporting our communities efforts, please contact our Director, Kim Hall 707) 826-6191 or director@northcoaststanddown.org or visit our website http://www.northcoaststanddown.org/.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Veterans Health Care Act
The following is a guest blog from Carl Young. Mr. Young is the Chapter Vice President of Vietnam Veterans of America, Ferndale Chapter 781.
By Carl Young
When is someone going to ask Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama, about the VA’s health care programs? I don’t hear any of them talking about a pending bill-H.R.2415 and it’s companion bill S.2639-that could finally give some assurance of quality health care for all of America’s veterans.
" The Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act" is currently under review in the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. It’s been there for a while as our congressional representatives fear they might lose their oversight ability, which in my book would be a good thing because of their history of under-funding and even delaying budgets.
There’s no doubt that the haphazard funding congress has been giving needs more review. One of the original co-sponsors of H.R.2415, Representative Bart Stupak (MI), has come out and said that the bill would address the problem by changing the way veteran’s health care is funded in Congress.
"The brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation should not need to fight so hard each year for the health care and benefits they have earned. The history of cuts and overdue budgets for our veteran’s health care is no way to honor our service members," Stupak said in a recent Associated Press release.
George Washington certainly had it right when he said that,"... the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directionally proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."
The history of cuts and overdue budgets for our veterans health care today, is no way to honor them. "It is illogical to put a cap on VA funding when it is impossible to put a cap on the number of those wounded and injured in service to their country.," said Larry Scott, founder and editor of VA Watchdog.org.
It’s obvious that current system needs to be replaced with a new funding system that is more realistic, like one that is indexed to medical inflation and the per capita use of the VA health care system.
Some have tried to argue that passing this legislation would take away oversight authority. In fact one could argue that this funding mechanism would provide our worried legislators with more time to oversee all veterans’ program areas. So in spite of claims by the U.S. Justice Department that the congress or the courts has no authority to tell the VA how to run their programs, it might be time to set them straight.
Recently U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, called for the resignation of Dr. Ira Katz, mental Health Officer for the Department of veteran Affairs, following reports that Dr. Katz was involved in efforts to cover up the number of veterans attempting suicide.
Why hasn’t our Congress been more aggressive in overseeing why the VA hasn’t done more to prevent suicide among our veterans? They need to be transparent and they need to spend the funding they get on programs as intended.
A recent study released by the Rand Corportation estimates that 300,000 U.S. troops-about 20 percent of those deployed-are suffering from Depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from having served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I am asking Congressman Thompson (D-CA) to co-sponsor the bill and help bring it out of The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and into the light of day. I encourage everyone to write Congressman Thompson and to ask for his support on H.R.2415. Let’s spoil their little game of "let-it-die-in-committee," and let our elected officials know we care about our veterans.
The only way to get a politician’s interest is to show them that their constituents-that’s us-want the right thing to be done for our service men and women.
I leave you with one more thought; always look at the way a politician actually votes-and not by what he tells you from behind a podium.
By Carl Young
When is someone going to ask Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama, about the VA’s health care programs? I don’t hear any of them talking about a pending bill-H.R.2415 and it’s companion bill S.2639-that could finally give some assurance of quality health care for all of America’s veterans.
" The Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act" is currently under review in the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. It’s been there for a while as our congressional representatives fear they might lose their oversight ability, which in my book would be a good thing because of their history of under-funding and even delaying budgets.
There’s no doubt that the haphazard funding congress has been giving needs more review. One of the original co-sponsors of H.R.2415, Representative Bart Stupak (MI), has come out and said that the bill would address the problem by changing the way veteran’s health care is funded in Congress.
"The brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation should not need to fight so hard each year for the health care and benefits they have earned. The history of cuts and overdue budgets for our veteran’s health care is no way to honor our service members," Stupak said in a recent Associated Press release.
George Washington certainly had it right when he said that,"... the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directionally proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."
The history of cuts and overdue budgets for our veterans health care today, is no way to honor them. "It is illogical to put a cap on VA funding when it is impossible to put a cap on the number of those wounded and injured in service to their country.," said Larry Scott, founder and editor of VA Watchdog.org.
It’s obvious that current system needs to be replaced with a new funding system that is more realistic, like one that is indexed to medical inflation and the per capita use of the VA health care system.
Some have tried to argue that passing this legislation would take away oversight authority. In fact one could argue that this funding mechanism would provide our worried legislators with more time to oversee all veterans’ program areas. So in spite of claims by the U.S. Justice Department that the congress or the courts has no authority to tell the VA how to run their programs, it might be time to set them straight.
Recently U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, called for the resignation of Dr. Ira Katz, mental Health Officer for the Department of veteran Affairs, following reports that Dr. Katz was involved in efforts to cover up the number of veterans attempting suicide.
Why hasn’t our Congress been more aggressive in overseeing why the VA hasn’t done more to prevent suicide among our veterans? They need to be transparent and they need to spend the funding they get on programs as intended.
A recent study released by the Rand Corportation estimates that 300,000 U.S. troops-about 20 percent of those deployed-are suffering from Depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from having served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I am asking Congressman Thompson (D-CA) to co-sponsor the bill and help bring it out of The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and into the light of day. I encourage everyone to write Congressman Thompson and to ask for his support on H.R.2415. Let’s spoil their little game of "let-it-die-in-committee," and let our elected officials know we care about our veterans.
The only way to get a politician’s interest is to show them that their constituents-that’s us-want the right thing to be done for our service men and women.
I leave you with one more thought; always look at the way a politician actually votes-and not by what he tells you from behind a podium.
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