Subject: Agent Orange Exposure, fwd from Colonel Dan Options

[allan]

Subject: AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE

3.8 DISABILITY COMPENSATION FOR DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH AGENT
ORANGE AND OTHER HERBICIDES USED IN VIETNAM
3.8.1 The Three Requirements for Disability Compensation Based Upon Agent Orange
Exposure
3.8.1.1 The Vietnam Service Requirement
3.8.1.2 The Second Requirement: Medical Evidence That the Veteran Has a Disease, or the
Residuals of a Disease, Associated with Agent Orange Exposure
3.8.1.3 The Third Requirement for Some Diseases: Medical Evidence of the Onset of the
Disease Within a Certain Time Period
3.8.1.4 Special Rules Regarding Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)
3.8.2 Veterans Should Reapply If Previously Denied Compensation for a Disease Listed in
Table 3-1
3.8.3 Vietnam Veterans Who Have a Disease Not Recognized by VA as Connected to Agent
Orange Exposure
3.8.4 Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange Outside Vietnam or Not During the Vietnam Era
3.8.5 The Lawsuits Against the Chemical Companies that Manufactured Agent Orange
Congress and the VA have afforded Vietnam veterans with an additional method to qualify
for compensation benefits for certain diseases associated with Agent Orange.541 Vietnam
veterans who have one of the diseases now recognized by the VA as connected to Agent Orange
exposure, or the residuals of one of these diseases, are able to have their disabilities
presumptively service connected.
This change in law is relatively recent.542 During the 1970s and 1980s, the VA denied tens
of thousands of claims for disabilities and death which Vietnam veterans and their survivors
attributed to Agent Orange exposure. Partially due to NVLSP's advocacy, the VA was forced to
acknowledge beginning in 1990 that several types of cancer and other serious diseases are related
to Agent Orange exposure. As a result, thousands of Vietnam veterans and their survivors have
received hundreds of millions of dollars in disability and death benefits.
Additional favorable changes in law have recently occurred and may occur in the future. As a
result of the Agent Orange Act of 1991,543 the VA has contracted with an independent
organization, the National Academy of Sciences, to review the scientific evidence on links
between dioxin exposure and disease. Whenever the National Academy issues a periodic report
about its review of the scientific evidence, the VA must decide whether additional diseases
should be service connected. The Act requires the VA to service connect a disease based on
exposure to Agent Orange if the National Academy report and other evidence show a positive
association exists between Agent Orange and the disease. If the credible evidence for an
association between Agent Orange exposure and a disease is equal to, or outweighs the credible
evidence against, then the VA must service connect the disease.
Under the contract with the VA, the National Academy has already issued four reports on the
health effects of Agent Orange, plus a special report on the link between diabetes and Agent
Orange exposure.544 As a result of the first two reports of the National Academy, the VA added
many more diseases to the list of diseases presumed to be connected to Agent Orange exposure.
The National Academy is continuing to analyze the scientific studies on the health effects of
exposure to the herbicides used in Vietnam and will issue additional reports every two years until
the year 2014.545 Therefore, the VA may further revise their Agent Orange service connection
rules in the future. Advocates who represent Vietnam veterans and their surviving family
members can research the latest developments in this rapidly changing area of veterans' benefits
law on NVLSP's web site (http://www.nvlsp.org).
Footnotes
541. Agent Orange is the most commonly used of the many herbicides that were used during
the Vietnam War, including Agents Blue, White, Purple, Brown, Green and Pink. Agent Orange
was made from a combination of two compounds: 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, which are chlorinated
phenoxy acids. Exposure to Agent Orange has been associated with a variety of adverse health
effects, largely because of the presence of a contaminant that is commonly known as dioxin. For
purposes of this Manual, the term "Agent Orange" is used to refer to all of the herbicides used in
Vietnam.
542. See 38 U.S.C.S. § 1116(a); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.307(a)(6), 3.309(e) (2002).
543. 38 U.S.C.S. § 1116(a).
544. In 1999, then Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Togo West, requested that the National
Academy expedite its report on Agent Orange exposure and diabetes. This report was issued on
October 11, 2000, resulting in the addition of type 2 diabetes to the list of diseases presumed to
be connected to Agent Orange.
545. See Pub. L. No. 107-103, Tit. II, § 201(d)(2), 115 Stat. 988 (Dec. 27, 2001).
3.8.1 The Three Requirements for Disability Compensation Based Upon Agent Orange
Exposure
To qualify for disability compensation based on Agent Orange exposure, a veteran only needs
to satisfy two or three simple rules: (1) the veteran served in Vietnam during the Vietnam era;
and (2) the veteran currently has one of the diseases, or the residuals of one of the diseases,
recognized by the VA as linked to Agent Orange exposure to a disabling degree of 10% or more;
and (3) for some (but not all) of the recognized non-cancer diseases (but not for any of the
recognized cancers546), the disease manifested itself within a certain time period from the last
day of service in Vietnam.
Footnotes
546.. Prior to 2002, the recognized respiratory cancers were subject to a time manifestation
requirement. See Section 3.8.1.3.
3.8.1.1 The Vietnam Service Requirement
Vietnam veterans do not need to prove actual exposure to Agent Orange or any other
herbicide during service in Vietnam to qualify for presumptive service connection. The rules
require the VA to assume that if a veteran served in Vietnam, the veteran was exposed.547
Therefore, the requirement of an in-service precipitating event reduces to showing that the
veteran served in Vietnam during the Vietnam era.
Service in Vietnam is defined as "active military, naval, or air service . . . in the Republic of
Vietnam at some point between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975."548 This includes service "in
the waters offshore and service in other locations if the conditions of service involved duty or
visitation in the Republic of Vietnam."549 Flying over Vietnam in an aircraft, without landing in
Vietnam, does not qualify as service in Vietnam.550 Further, serving on board a ship in the
waters offshore, without any visitation in Vietnam, generally does not qualify as service in
Vietnam.551
Footnotes
547. See 38 U.S.C.S. § 1116(a).
548. 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(iii) (2002). See also, 38 U.S.C.S. § 1116(a)(3).
549. Id.
550. VA Gen. Coun. Prec. 7-93 (Aug. 12, 1993).
551. VA Gen. Coun. Prec. 21-97 (July 23, 1997).
3.8.1.2 The Second Requirement: Medical Evidence That the Veteran Has a Disease, or
the Residuals of a Disease, Associated with Agent Orange Exposure
To satisfy the second requirement, Vietnam veterans only need submit medical evidence
showing that they currently have one of the recognized diseases (or its residuals) to a disabling
degree of 10% or more.552
All of the diseases on the VA's recognized list of conditions linked to Agent Orange exposure
as of the date of publication of the 2002 edition of this Manual appear in the left-hand column of
Table 3-1.
Table 3-1553
Diseases Recognized by VA as Length of Time Requirements: (When
Connected to Agent Orange Exposure symptoms of the disease have to appear
and result in a disability at least 10%
disabling in order to qualify for benefits)
Types of Cancer
Cancer of the Bronchus No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
[b]matter when this disease first appears).[/b]
Cancer of the Larynx No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Lung Cancer No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Prostate Cancer No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Cancer of the Trachea No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Hodgkin's Disease No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Multiple Myeloma No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
matter when this disease first appears).
Diabetes (Type II; also known as diabetes No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
mellitus) matter when this disease first appears).
Types of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Time Requirement
Adult Fibrosarcoma No time requirement (veteran qualifies no
Alveolar Soft Part matter when this disease first appears).
Sarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Clear Cell Sarcoma of Aponeuroses
Clear Cell Sarcoma of Tendons and
Aponeuroses
Congenital
Fibrosarcoma
Dermatofibrosarcoma
Protuberans
Ectomesenchymoma
Epithelioid Malignant
Leiomyosarcoma
Epithelioid and Glandular Malignant
Schwannomas
Epithelioid Sarcoma
Extraskeletal Ewing's
Sarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma
Infantile
Fibrosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Liposarcoma
Lymphangiosarcoma
Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma
Malignant Giant Cell Tumor of the
Tendon Sheath
Malignant Glandular
Schwannoma
Malignant Glomus Tumor
Malignant Hemangiopericytoma
Malignant Mesenchymoma
Malignant Ganglioneuroma
Malignant Granular Cell Tumor
Malignant Leiomyoblastoma
Malignant Synovioma
Malignant Schwannoma with
Rhabdomyoblastic
Differentiation
Proliferating (systemic)
Angiendotheliomatosis
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Synovial Sarcoma
Diseases Other Than Cancer Time Requirement
Peripheral Neuropathy (acute or subacute) Within months of exposure to Agent
Orange in Vietnam and cured within two
years after symptoms first appear (Note:
this time requirement is written so
narrowly it appears to be impossible for
any Vietnam veteran to qualify).
Chloracne Within one year of the last day the veteran
served in Vietnam.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda Within one year of the last day the veteran
served in Vietnam.
Disabilities in Children of Vietnam Time Requirement
Veterans
Spina Bifida554 Child must have been conceived after
veteran first arrived in Vietnam.
Certain Birth Defects in Children of Child must have been conceived after
Female Vietnam Veterans555 veteran first arrived in Vietnam.
It is important to understand that medical terms sometimes change. For example,
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been called by many different names, such as
lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma. Appendix 3-G to this Chapter contains a list of some
common terms for NHL. To find out for sure whether the veteran's diagnosed disease is among
those that are presumptively service connected due to exposure to Agent Orange, consult with a
medical professional. To help understand the nature of the diseases listed above in Table 3-1, a
short description of most of these diseases appears in Appendix 3-F to this Chapter.
Vietnam veterans who develop one of the cancers listed in Table 3-1 may still be denied
disability compensation if the cancer on the list developed as a result of, or was caused by a
different cancer. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has ruled that if a Vietnam
veteran first develops a cancer that is not listed in Table 3-1, like colon cancer, and that cancer
later shifts or spreads (in medical language, "metastasizes") to another part or organ of the body
so that the veteran then has a cancer that is listed in Table 3-1, like lung cancer, the VA is not
required to grant the claim under the Agent Orange exposure regulations.556
On the other hand, if the veteran first develops a cancer that is listed in Table 3-1 and it shifts
or spreads to another part or organ of the body that is not listed in Table 3-1, the VA must grant
the claim and, in rating the degree of disability, it must consider the disabling effects of both the
original cancer and the secondary cancer sites that may develop from the original cancer.557
**Advocacy Tip** The key to winning a claim when the veteran suffers from at least one cancer
on the VA list and at least one cancer that is not on the list is to obtain helpful medical evidence.
Veterans and their advocates should try to get a statement from a physician, preferably an oncologist
(a physician who is a specialist in cancer), stating that in the physician's expert opinion, it is as
likely as not (or, even better, that it is very probable) that the cancer on the VA list was a "primary"
cancer, and did not develop from a different cancer that the veteran already had.
Footnotes
552. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(ii) (2002).
553. This list of diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure as recognized by the VA
appears in 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e) (2002), except spina bifida in children of Vietnam Veterans
which appears in 38 C.F.R. § 3.814 (2002).
554.See 38 C.F.R. § 3.814 (2002). See also Section 7.5 of this Manual for further
information concerning benefits for children born with spina bifida.
555.Congress has required the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish regulations
identifying the birth defects that will qualify. See U.S.C.S. §§ 1811-15. These regulations were
not published as of the publication of the 2002 edition of this Manual. When published, these
regulations must have an effective date of December 1, 2001. See generally Section 7.5.1.1. of
this Manual.
556. Darby v. Brown, 10 Vet. App. 243 (1997).
557. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.310 (2002).
3.8.1.3 The Third Requirement for Some Diseases: Medical Evidence of the Onset of
the Disease Within a Certain Time Period
For some of the non-cancer diseases on the VA's list, there is a third requirement: that the
condition became manifest (that is, symptoms of the condition began to appear) within a certain
length of time after leaving Vietnam.558 For diseases with a time requirement, the veteran must
also show that the disease caused a disability that is at least 10% disabling within the same
required time period.559 If there is a requirement that the disease appear within a certain time
period, the time period appears in the right-hand column to Table 3-1 above.
The proof that the disease manifested to the required degree within the required period must
be in the form of medical evidence. Advocates should explore whether a physician is available
and able to state, at minimum, that it is at least as likely as not that if the veteran experienced the
symptoms as reported to the physician, the veteran was experiencing the symptoms of the
disease. This medical evidence coupled with the veteran's or survivor's statement about the early
symptomatology and any corroborating statements, should lead the VA to find that the claimant
has satisfied the manifestation period requirement.
Prior to 2002, the recognized respiratory cancers – that is, cancer of the lung, larynx,
bronchus, and trachea – were subject to a time manifestation requirement. Under the rule in
effect from 1994 (when the VA first recognized these respiratory cancers as being related to
Agent Orange exposure) through 2001, a respiratory cancer would not qualify under the VA's
Agent Orange rules if the cancer first became manifest to a degree of 10% or more after 30 years
had already expired from the last day of the veteran's service in Vietnam.560
Congress repealed the 30-year manifestation rule for respiratory cancers, effective on January
1, 2002.561 Thus, the rule now is that a Vietnam veteran who develops a respiratory cancer to a
disabling degree of 10% or more, or a qualifying surviving family member of a Vietnam veteran
who dies of a respiratory cancer, is entitled to compensation based on that cancer no matter now
when the respiratory cancer first appeared.
A Vietnam veteran or surviving family member who applied for, but was finally denied
compensation because of the 30-year manifestation rule, can now qualify for compensation
simply by filing a new application. To ensure that the VA grants the new claim – as it should --
the veteran or survivor should alert the VA to the fact that the 30-year manifestation rule has
been repealed.
If this new claim is filed before January 1, 2003, the effective date of the award should be
January 1, 2002, or the date the cancer became manifest to a disabling degree of 10% or more,
whichever date is later. If the new claim is not filed until after January 1, 2003, the effective date
of the award should be one year before the date the VA received the new claim, or the date the
cancer became manifest to a disabling degree of 10% or more, whichever date is later. Because
Congress did not make the repeal of the 30-year manifestation rule retroactive, the effective date
of an award of benefits cannot be before January 1, 2002, in a case in which the respiratory
cancer first became manifest more than 30 years after the veteran's last day of service in Vietnam.
Footnotes
558. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(ii) (2002).
559. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(ii) (2002).
560.. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(ii) (2002).
561.. See Pub. L. No. 107-103, Tit. II, § 201(a), 115 Stat. 987 (Dec. 27, 2001).
3.8.1.4 Special Rules Regarding Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)
The rules for service connection regarding Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)562 are slightly
different than the rules for other disease linked to exposure to Agent Orange. One of the
regulations that grant service connection for NHL bases the connection on service in Vietnam
and not Agent Orange exposure.563 In most ways that regulation operates the same as
regulations granting service connection based on Agent Orange exposure. However, there are a
couple of differences worth noting.
One difference involves the definition of service in Vietnam. The definition of service in
Vietnam is slightly broader than it is for the other diseases listed in Table 3-1 above. For all
diseases other than NHL, veterans are required to have either had duty or visitation in
Vietnam.564 Under one of the two regulations providing for service connection for NHL, service
members who served in the waters off-shore do not have to show any duty or visitation in
Vietnam.565
Second, the effective date rules for an award of benefits for NHL under 38 C.F.R. § 3.313
are more favorable than the effective date rules for an award for an NHL claim based the Agent
Orange exposure under 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.307(a)(6) and 3.309(e). For these reasons, NHL claimants
should always cite to 38 C.F.R. § 3.313 instead of 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.307(a)(6)(3) and 3.309(e)
when filing a claim.566
In addition, effective October 23, 1995, the VA changed the rating schedule that is used to
determine the level of disability caused by NHL.567 Prior to that date, NHL was rated according
to the same criteria as Hodgkin's disease, with incremental percentage ratings for varying degrees
of disability.568 Under the amended regulation, NHL must be rated as 100% disabling when the
disease is "active" or during a "treatment phase."569 Thus, a veteran can only be 0% disabled or
100% disabled by NHL. However, if the disease is not active, the VA must also rate the veteran
on the residuals of NHL.570
Footnotes
562. For the purpose of service connection for this disease, the definition of NHL "includes
any diagnosis of a lymphoma (other than Hodgkin's lymphoma), mycosis fungoides, and old
terms such as lymphosarcoma, reticulum cell sarcoma, and Sternberg's sarcoma." VBA Circular
21-90-11, change 1, ¶ 2(b) (Jan. 25, 1991).
563. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.313 (2002).
564. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(iii) (2002).
565. There are two regulation that provide presumptive service connection for NHL, 38
C.F.R. §§ 3.313 3.309(e) (2002). (Service in Vietnam for purposes of 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e)
(2001) is defined in 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(iii)) (2002)). 38 C.F.R. § 3.313 (2002) provides the
broader and more favorable definition of service in Vietnam for veterans.
566. See Section 8.6 of this Manual for more information concerning effective dates for
awards of benefits due to Agent Orange.
567. 60 Fed. Reg. 49,225 (1995).
568. 38 C.F.R. § 4.117 (1996). The diagnostic code for NHL is 7715. The diagnostic code
for Hodgkin's disease is 7709 (lymphogranulomatosis).
569. See 38 C.F.R. § 4.117 (2002).
570. Id. See also, Green v. West, 11 Vet. App. 472, 475 (1998).
3.8.2 Veterans Should Reapply If Previously Denied Compensation for a Disease Listed
in Table 3-1
It took over two decades after the U.S. military halted its spraying of Agent Orange in
Vietnam because of concerns about its dangers to the health of its troops for the VA to recognize
that Agent Orange is associated with seriously disabling diseases. As Table 3-2 below shows, the
VA did not begin to recognize this association until the 1990s. Column 2 of the table lists for
each disease the VA now recognizes as related to Agent Orange exposure the date that the VA
published amendments to its regulations recognizing the disease for the first time.
Table 3-2
Disease Publication Date Effective Date 38 CFR §
Chloracne 05-19-93 02-06-91 3.309(e)
Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) 10-15-91 09-25-85 3.311a
05-19-93 02-06-91 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 10-26-90 08-05-64 3. 313
05-19-93 02-06-91 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda 04-03-94 04-03-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Hodgkin's disease 04-03-94 04-03-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Cancer of the lung 06-09-94 06-09-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Cancer of the larynx 06-09-94 06-09-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Cancer of the bronchus 06-09-94 06-09-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Cancer of the trachea 06-09-94 06-09-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Multiple Myeloma 06-09-94 06-09-94 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Prostate cancer 11-07-96 11-07-96 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Acute and subacute 11-07-96 11-07-96 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Peripheral Neuropathy
Spina Bifida in children of 09-30-97 10-01-97 3.814
Vietnam veterans
Type II Diabetes 05-08-01 07-09-01 3.307 & 3.309(e)
Prior to these changes, the VA's denial that a relationship exists between Agent Orange and
serious disabling diseases led the VA to deny tens of thousands of disability and death claims
filed by Vietnam veterans and their survivors, many of which asserted that Agent Orange caused
the disease or death. A Court Order issued in a class action lawsuit litigated by attorneys from the
NVLSP required the VA to automatically identify many of these previously denied claimants,
reevaluate their claims under the amended Agent Orange regulations, and, if they qualified under
the new regulations, grant them prospective and retroactive disability compensation or DIC
benefits.571 Unfortunately, the VA violated this Court Order by failing to identify many
claimants previously denied benefits for diseases the VA later recognized as related to Agent
Orange.572
Any Vietnam veteran who was previously denied disability benefits by the VA for a disease
listed in Tables 3-1 and 3-2 should file a new application for the same benefits under the new
regulations.573 The same advice applies to surviving family members of Vietnam veterans who
died of a disease listed in Tables 3-1 and 3-2 and who were previously denied DIC benefits by
the VA. Those who reapply and qualify for benefits under the rules discussed in this chapter will
not only receive benefits in the future, but, as discussed in Section 8.6 of this Manual, many of
them will also receive benefits retroactive to the date the VA received the claim it previously
denied.574
Footnotes
571. See Appendix 8-A at the end of Chapter 8 of this Manual. A description of this class
action lawsuit appears in Section 8.6.1 of this Manual.
572. See Nehmer v. U.S. Veterans Administration, 32 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (N.D. Cal. 1999).
573. Veterans who applied before and were denied but have no current disabling residuals
from the disease, should still re-apply as they may still be eligible for retroactive benefits.
574. Many veterans and surviving family members are entitled to retroactive benefits due to a
class action lawsuit brought by NVLSP, Nehmer v. U.S. Veterans' Administration. In Nehmer the
Court invalidated the VA's denials of all claims based on diseases related to Agent Orange
exposure, if such denials were made on or after September 25, 1985. See Nehmer v. U.S.
Veterans' Administration, 712 F. Supp 1404 (N.D. Cal. 1989). Pursuant to the Court's Order, all
claims based on Agent Orange-related diseases which it denied on or after September 25, 1985
must be readjudicated. Nehmer v. U.S. Dep't of Veterans Affairs, No. CV-86-6160 at ¶¶ 3 and 5
(N.D. Cal. May 14, 1991) (Final Stipulation and Order). For further information concerning
readjudication and retroactive effective dates under Nehmer, review Section 8.6 of this Manual,
and write to NVLSP's Agent Orange Resource Center, 2001 S Street, N.W., Suite 610,
Washington, D.C. 20009. Also available from NVLSP is a 45-page Self-Help Guide on Agent
Orange, published both in English and Spanish.
3.8.3 Vietnam Veterans Who Have a Disease Not Recognized by VA as Connected to
Agent Orange Exposure
Unfortunately, Vietnam veterans who develop a condition not on the VA's list have a hard
time convincing the VA that it resulted from exposure to Agent Orange. Although unlikely, it is
possible that a claim for compensation could be granted if a veteran can submit (1) a doctor's
statement that the veteran currently suffers from the disease or disability (or its residuals), and (2)
an opinion from a medical expert stating that it is as likely as not that exposure to Agent Orange
caused the disease or disability.575
As mentioned, the list of recognized diseases has changed on a number of occasions.
Veterans and their advocates should check to see whether, after the 2002 edition of this Manual
was published, the veteran's disease was added to the VA's list of diseases that are presumptively
service connected to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.576
If the disease is not on the VA's current list, veterans may still qualify for service-connected
disability compensation at this time under VA rules discussed earlier in this chapter that have
nothing to do with Agent Orange. In addition, if the veteran does not qualify for compensation
under any of the VA's rules, the veteran may still be able to get help at this time from the VA in
the form of a non-service-connected disability pension.577
Even if the veteran does not qualify for benefits under any current rules, it may still be
advisable to file a claim immediately. This is especially true if the disease at issue is one of the
diseases currently being studied by the National Academy and is among those most likely to be
added in the future to those diseases recognized by the VA as associated with Agent Orange
exposure. The benefit of taking this action is that if the VA later adds the disease to those that are
presumptively service connected and grants the claim, the veteran will have a better chance of
receiving retroactive benefits.
The following Table 3-3 lists the diseases most likely to be added to the list of diseases
recognized by the VA.
Table 3-3578
Diseases and Disabilities Having the Best Chance of Being Added in the Future
to the Conditions Connected to Agent Orange Exposure
Abnormal Sperm Parameters and Infertility
Birth Defects (Other than Spina Bifida in Children of Vietnam Veterans)
Bladder Cancer
Bone Cancer
Breast Cancer
Childhood Cancer (in Children of Vietnam Veterans)
Chronic Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
Circulatory Disorders
Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Female Reproductive Cancers (cervical, uterine, ovarian)
Hepatobiliary Cancers
Immune System Disorders
Leukemia
Liver Cancer
Low Birthweight (in Children of Vietnam Veterans)
Metabolic and Digestive Disorders (changes in liver enzymes, lipid abnormalities,
ulcers)
Motor or Coordination Dysfunction
Nasal or Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Neonatal or Infant Death and Stillbirths
Renal Cancer
Respiratory Disorders
Skin Cancer
Spontaneous Abortion
Testicular Cancer
Urinary Bladder Cancer
Footnotes
575. Prior to 2002, the VA would not presume exposure to Agent Orange unless the Vietnam
veteran had one of the diseases the VA recognizes as associated with Agent Orange exposure.
See McCartt v. West, 12 Vet. App. 164 (1999). Therefore, for claims concerning diseases not
presumptively service connected, evidence of exposure to Agent Orange had to be submitted. In
December 2001, Congress eliminated the need to submit exposure evidence, even for diseases
not yet recognized by the VA as presumptively service connected. See Pub. L. No. 107-103, Tit.
II, § 201©(1), 115 Stat. 988 (Dec. 27, 2001). For all diseases alleged to have resulted from
Agent Orange exposure, the VA must now assume that if the veteran served in Vietnam, he or
shewas exposed.
576. Congress has required the National Academy to continue until the year 2014 to write
new reports analyzing the scientific evidence that becomes available in the future. Whenever a
new report is issued, the VA may decide it needs to add more diseases to the list in Table 3-1.
The NVLSP web site (http://www.nvlsp.org) contains an up-to-date list of all the diseases
recognized by the VA.
577. The veteran may also qualify for free medical care. For more information, see Section
10.3.1 of this Manual.
578. See "Veterans and Agent Orange" Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences
Press 1994; "Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1996" Institute of Medicine, National
Academy of Sciences Press 1996; "Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1998" Institute of
Medicine, National Academy of Sciences Press 1999; "Veterans and Agent Orange: Update
2000" Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences Press 2001.
3.8.4 Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange Outside Vietnam or Not During the Vietnam
Era
The presumption for service connection only applies to veterans who served in Vietnam as
defined above. However, Agent Orange was used not only in Vietnam, but also in Korea and
other hostile areas.579 Until recently, the VA would grant compensation to veterans exposed to
Agent Orange outside of Vietnam only if the claimant proved exposure to Agent Orange and
submitted persuasive medical evidence of a connection between the veteran's current disease and
that exposure.580
In an apparent effort to equalize the treatment of all veterans exposed to Agent Orange, the
VA announced in 2001 that if exposure outside of Vietnam were proven, and the veteran had one
of the diseases presumed by law to be related to exposure to Agent Orange (see Table 3-1 above),
the medical condition would be presumed to have resulted from Agent Orange exposure and the
claim granted unless there were other disqualifying factors.581 The most difficult issue in these
cases is proving exposure. The authors of this Manual have been informed that the VA is in the
process of determining whether Department of Defense information is sufficient to presume that
some non-Vietnam units were exposed to Agent Orange. No VA determination of this type was
made as of the publication of the 2002 edition of this Manual.
The following areas outside of Vietnam have been confirmed as places where Agent Orange
was used: the Korean demilitarized zone in 1968 and 1969 (extensive spraying); and Fort Drum,
New York in 1959 (testing).
Other areas where veterans allege Agent Orange was sprayed or stored include: Guam from
1955 through 1960s; the Johnston Atoll (1972-1978); and the Panama Canal Zone from 1960s to
early 1970s.
Any veteran concerned about exposure to Agent Orange during its use, manufacture, testing
or transport outside of Vietnam is entitled to an Agent Orange physical by the VA and to be
added to the Agent Orange Registry.582
Footnotes
579. See BVA 98-17647 (Mar. 12, 1999); Todd Robertson, Bases May Have Been Sprayed
With Agent Orange, Dallas Morning News, Aug. 24, 1999.
580. See BVA 98-17647 (Mar. 12, 1999) granting compensation to a veteran who established
exposure to Agent Orange in Korea and who was diagnosed with NHL.
581. See comments on the final rule adding diabetes to the list of "diseases" in 38 C.F.R. §
3.309(e), at 66 Fed. Reg. 23166 (May 8, 2001).
582. Veterans Health Administration Directive 2000-027.
3.8.5 The Lawsuits Against the Chemical Companies that Manufactured Agent Orange
In 1978, a Vietnam veteran named Paul Reutershan filed a lawsuit against some of the
chemical companies that had manufactured Agent Orange. Other veterans later joined the suit,
which was broadened to include all seven manufacturers (Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto
Company, Hercules, Inc., T.H. Agriculture & Nutrition Company, Diamond Shamrock
Chemicals Company, Thompson Chemical Corporation, and Uniroyal, Inc.).583
The lawsuit sought money damages for injuries caused to Vietnam veterans and their families
by Agent Orange. The suit was a class action, that is, it affected not only the original plaintiffs,
but also all the members of a class as defined by the court that supervised the case. The class
members included any person who had been in the United States, New Zealand, or Australian
armed forces at any time from 1961 to 1972 who was injured while in or near Vietnam by
exposure to Agent Orange or other phenoxy herbicides. The class also included certain spouses,
parents, and children.
A settlement was announced on May 7, 1984, the day on which the trial had been scheduled
to begin. In exchange for the veterans' dropping the lawsuit, the chemical companies agreed to
contribute $180 million to a settlement fund. Between 1984 and 1988, when all of the appeals to
overturn the settlement were finally denied, the settlement fund grew to $240 million with
interest. In July 1988, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
finalized plans to distribute cash and develop funding for services to veterans and their families.
The settlement money was divided into two main funds: $170 million to be paid directly to
disabled veterans or survivors (including $5 million for veterans from Australia and New
Zealand) and $42 million (later $52 million) to be used to fund programs that would benefit
Vietnam veterans and their families. About 5% of the fund went for attorneys' fees, paid out of
the interest earned on the original principal settlement amount.
The court established a payment program to distribute the $170 million set aside for Vietnam
veterans and surviving family members. The court also created the Agent Orange Class
Assistance Program (AOCAP) to administer the funds set aside to provide services to veterans
and their families. To be eligible for compensation under the payment program, veterans had to
have served in the U.S. armed forces in or near Vietnam any time from January 1, 1961, through
December 31, 1971; have been exposed to herbicides (using court-approved criteria) while in or
near Vietnam; and have a total disability that occurred prior to the veteran's 60th birthday. Not all
types of disabilities were compensable. A survivor was eligible for compensation if he or she
could show that the veteran had served in the U.S. armed forces in or near Vietnam any time
from January 1, 1961, through December 31, 1971; that the veteran had been exposed to
herbicides; and that the veteran had died before age 60 from a non-traumatic cause.
The final deadline for applications to the payment program was January 17, 1995. This
program is now closed, and it is too late to apply. While the program was open, 105,762 Vietnam
veterans or their survivors applied to the payment program; 52,023 of these disability and
survivor compensation claims were granted.
AOCAP is also closed now. During its existence, AOCAP administered grants to 85
programs (including NVLSP) to provide services to Vietnam veterans and their families. The
program disbursed more than $71 million and helped more than 239,000 Vietnam veterans and
their family members.584
Until 2000, it appeared that no matter when they developed a disease that may have been
caused by Agent Orange, Vietnam veterans could only receive compensation from the chemical
company manufacturers through the settlement of this class action. In Stephenson v. Dow
Chemical Co.,585 however, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that two Vietnam
veterans who first became ill after 1994 (that is, after all the settlement funds had been paid out)



"Keep on, Keepin' on"
Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"
See my web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/