
On December 17, 2015, instead of announcing that they were
simply adding conditions, the VA announced that it is now proposing to also grant
eligibility for disability compensation to veterans exposed to the contaminated
water.
Currently, veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune for at least
30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, are eligible to receive
healthcare (but not disability compensation) for 15 conditions, and the VA also
reimburses eligible family members for exposure-related healthcare costs.
Now, the VA is proposing that the following conditions be
added to the VA Presumptive List for veterans who were stationed at Camp
Lejeune during that time:
Kidney
Cancer Leukemia
Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma
Parkinson’s
Disease Scleroderma
Liver
Cancer
Aplastic
Anemia/Myelodysplastic Syndromes
All conditions on the VA Presumptive List are presumed service-connected
and thus eligible for full VA Disability Benefits, including both healthcare
and disability compensation.
In addition, the VA is also proposing to expand this
eligibility to include Reserve and National Guard members stationed at Camp
Lejeune during that time. It will be presumed that they were exposed to the
contaminated water and, in certain circumstances, to be disabled by that
exposure, allowing them to be eligible for VA benefits.
While proposed, these changes have not yet gone into affect.
The VA is currently working to finalize these regulations, and until they are
published, it can’t grant any disability claims for these conditions. However, the
VA does encourage vets who served at Camp Lejeune during that time to go ahead
and submit a VA Disability Claim if they have conditions they believe are
related to their exposure. It can’t be approved until the final regulations are
published, but they’ll keep the claim on hold until then.
As soon as those final regulations are published, we will
let you know. Until then, the VA will continue to grant claims that are covered
by current regulations. To see if you are eligible for healthcare benefits for
the 15 conditions already covered, visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/index.asp. To
get more information about reimbursement for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses
for eligible family members, go to https://www.clfamilymembers.fsc.va.gov.
Thanks for the update. I lost a kidney to cancer and also had bladder cancer. The VA docs saved my life, no complaints about treatment. At 68yo, the sooner the compensation, the better!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! You clearly deserve it.
DeleteCap meeting was today with atsdr. Neurological was on list not presumptive so how can I relate that and cfs, autoummune dysfunction and fibromyalgia. Have claim in but without presumptive what to do
ReplyDeleteI would need more information about exactly what neurological condition you have and which conditions you've listed are already considered service-connected in order to help you.
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