If you or your loved ones are Veterans affected by Agent Orange in the Vietnam war, you may qualify to receive benefits. Veterans who served in the Vietnam War are finally receiving the acknowledgement they deserve.
The Department of Veteran Affairs announced they will be expanding the list of presumed medical conditions associated with those exposed to Agent Orange. These conditions are bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism. Veterans will no longer be required to have proof of exposure to Agent Orange.
The VA will begin implementing provisions of the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. All Veterans exposed to herbicide agents, known as Agent Orange, will qualify for disability benefits.
Since many Veterans have been waiting for long periods of time. Those who were recently denied these benefits and applied for one of the three conditions, will no longer need to wait. They will be automatically reviewed, which will not require them to refile a claim.
There will be thousands of Veterans and family members of deceased Veterans who are expected to qualify for the new benefits. These benefits can be worth several thousand dollars a month, which will be able to help many families affected by this major historical event.
Although the government already recognizes 14 other conditions connected to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, adding these three presumptive illnesses is a major win for those Veterans who were denied in the past. According to the VA, they will be applying all provisions of court orders related to Nehmer v. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which will result in earlier entitlement of benefits for serving in the Vietnam War.
In addition, the VA is also taking initiative to address Veterans suffering from respiratory conditions associated with their service in Southwest Asia. These medical conditions include asthma, sinusitis and rhinitis.
If you are a Michigan resident who has been affected by Agent Orange and would like to learn more about qualifying for VA benefits, contact our firm today at 800-990-6030 to schedule a call with our team.
