|
Diabetes
Diabetes is a "presumptive" disease - - - meaning the relationship to it and Agent Orange have been established. I also receive compensation for diabetes and complications from diabetes.
I've been an individual that has been fighting, at my own expense, to get MDS and AML to be recognized as presumptive. Vietnam veterans are 14,000% more likely to have MDS/AML than those that did not serve in 'Nam. That number was computed from a FOIA request I made in 2010 and directly from the Veterans' Administration numbers.
Between FY08-FY10 there were almost 7,000 Vietnam "ERA" veterans being treated within the VA healthcare system. I am sure there were some number treated outside of the VA.
If in a three year period there were almost 7,000 being treated and since 1992 there have only been 202 BVA decisions related to MDS/AML, what happened with the rest?
I filed another FOIA request at each region asking for statistics on 'Nam "ERA" vet's claim activity for the diseases and claim outcome. The VA must have realized I was closing in on the truth; to a region I was stonewalled in violation of Federal law.
Given that data, I most likely would have seen that MDS/AML are being treated as presumptive at the regions. Those that have been denied are just the unlucky few. In fact, I personally know/knew of a number of veterans that received 100% for MDS without a fight.
There have been some stupid enough to dispute that by saying the veterans were just denied and never filed a NOD. Denied for a deadly cancer/leukemia and just went away. Sure thing, when pigs fly.
|