Earlier this year, the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs announced that they may have reached a decision regarding the addition of four new illnesses to theย Agent Orange presumptive benefits eligibilityย list. Now, almost five months later, they still have not been able to move forward on this.
According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, “Last November,ย researchers from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicineย announced they had compiled โsufficient evidenceโ linking hypertension, bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonโs-like symptoms with exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants used in Vietnam and surrounding countries in the 1960s and 1970s. They recommended adding the conditions to VAโs existing list of 14 presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure, a designation which allows veterans to more quickly and easily qualify for disability benefits.”