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The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a new regulation June 18, effective immediately, that will for the first time provide benefits to some Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange who did not have “boots on the ground” during the war.
“Opening up eligibility for this deserving group of Air Force veterans and reservists is the right thing to do,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald said in a news release. “We thank the (Institute of Medicine) for its thorough review that provided the supporting evidence needed to ensure we can now fully compensate any former crew member who develops an Agent Orange-related disability.”
Under the 1991 Agent Orange Act, Vietnam Veterans experiencing one of 14 medical conditions linked to Agent Orange are presumptively eligible for disability benefits. The legislation, however, took away the VA’s discretion to determine eligibility, instead requiring it to defer to studies from the Institute of Medicine.