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June 9, 2010 - Ever since Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki decided to add 3 new diseases to the list of Vietnam veteran illnesses automatically accepted as having been caused by Agent Orange exposure, Senator Daniel Akaka (D -Hawaii) has been at odds with Shinseki.
Senator Akaka is Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Last month, Shinseki asked Akaka to cancel a committee hearing on Shinseki's decision, to which Akaka agreed. Adding the 3 new illnesses to the list will allow tens of thousands of veterans to apply for disability compensation. These new compensation claims, however, will come at a projected cost of $13.6 billion per year.
Outside of the hearing, Akaka and committee member Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) are pressuring Shinseki to defend his decision to add heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and B-cell leukemia to the VA's list of presumptive illnesses tied to Agent Orange exposure. Akaka has written two letters to Shinseki seeking answers. His second letter demanded details as to the eventual results of presuming ischemic heart disease for every veteran who ever served in Vietnam.
Just because Akaka cancelled the last hearing does not mean he will not call another if Shinseki does not satisfy his questions. In an effort to speedily pass Shinseki's additions to the list, the standard 60-day comment was cut in half. Webb, however, attached an amendment to a war supplemental bill preventing any claims from being paid until 60 days after the final regulations are published. His goal was to give Congress some time to evaluate everything and ensure the science behind Shinseki's additions is sound.
Webb has complained that presumptive diseases have become more commonplace than originally intended. Further, making ischemic heart disease presumptive will drastically increase the amount of disability claims filed with the VA. Heart disease is the third most common illness among the elderly and could not be supported as linked in 2006 yet was linked in 2008. Webb and Akaka are not going to stop questioning Shinseki as to what his deciding factors were in allowing these new presumptive diseases onto such an exclusive list.
Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.
At LaVan and Neidenberg, we are determined to secure veterans their rightful disability compensation and disability rating. We wrote this book for you! In it you will find valuable tips on how to navigate the claims process and avoid common pitfalls. Request your FREE copy today!
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