Veterans, Agent Orange, Multiple Myeloma and VA Benefits

Eligibility for Major VA Benefits Outlined

I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM) two years ago after suffering excruciating pain in my lower back (L3) for the entire summer of 2001. My wife and I couldn’t figure out why I was having such pain and the X-rays and CAT scans revealed nothing significant. It wasn’t until the doctor reviewed the blood test results ½ hour before surgery that he suspected I might have multiple myeloma. Following surgery and a biopsy, we learned I did and do have MM. I lived with it for the first year and a half always wondering how I might have been exposed to something that could have caused this, as I was relatively young (54) and was in reasonable physical health. I had worked in executive government positions since leaving the military without exposure to toxic substances. Then came the tip of the information iceberg that grew & grew.

On the MM listserv (http://www.acor.org/myeloma.html) in early March of 2003, a wonderful woman, Taura King wrote in stating that veterans with MM who were exposed to Agent Orange were potentially eligible for a vast array of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. I figured that since I was in Korea, and knew nothing about spraying of Agent Orange (AO) there, that I would not qualify and figured it would be a waste of time to apply. Boy, was I wrong – and thus begins the good news for many veterans with MM – Please read on.

WHAT MIGHT YOU BE ELIGIBLE FOR?

1. Disability compensation up to $2,500 per month or more, tax free and separate & apart from Social Security Disability benefits; i.e. you can receive BOTH!
2. Free medical, dental and vision at VA facilities
3. Free prescriptions
4. Free medical coverage for your spouse and dependents through CHAMPVA
5. Free access to military BX, PX and commissaries (with no sales tax)
6. Waiver of vehicle licensing fee (varies by state)
7. Reduction or elimination of property tax obligation (varies by state/county)
8. Access to military recreation and lodging facilities at very reduced charges
9. Educational benefits for yourself (if not already used) and your dependents
10. $10K life insurance if health issues limited to VA disability; possible paid premium
11. Free burial in military graveyard with free headstone
12. Waiver of 2% fee for VA home loan (could equal several thousand $$$)
13. Special Disabled parking privileges (varies with state/county)

HOW/WHY MIGHT YOU BE ELIGIBLE?

If you a veteran with a discharge other than dishonorable and if you have Multiple Myeloma, and fall into the following three categories, there is a reasonably good chance you will qualify for up to a 100% disability rating from the VA.

1. Anyone who served in Viet Nam (even if only there for one hour)
2. Soldiers who served on or near the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) in 1968 and 1969
3. Soldiers stationed at Fort Drum, NY in 1959 (testing).

The above areas are those where the military has ADMITTED spraying or testing Agent Orange. For those stationed in Viet Nam, the VA grants “presumptive eligibility”; that is, one does not have to demonstrate exposure or connection between AO and MM. For the other two areas (Korea and Fort Drum), the burden is a bit heavier on the veteran to demonstrate how, when and where he/she may have been exposed, although I didn’t have to do that, and I was stationed about 6-12 miles south of the DMZ in Korea. What is required frequently depends upon the regional office and/or the service officer involved in reviewing your claim.

Other areas where veterans allege AO to have been sprayed include:

1. Guam from 1955 through 1960s (spraying).
2. Johnston Atoll (1972-1978) was used for unused AO storage.
3. Panama Canal Zone from 1960s to early 1970s (spraying).

The military has NOT admitted AO use in the above three locations and thus filing a successful disability claim is much more problematic for those who were there. It is also noted that AO has a half-life of as much as several decades, as noted by the diseases still being experienced by Vietnamese citizens today who farm land sprayed with AO back in the ‘60s and ‘70s and who drink the water it was polluted with. Again, however, getting the VA to agree that you contracted MM due to the continued contamination of AO if you served in Korea in the ‘70s for example is problematic. I’m not sure anyone has been successful in that endeavor.

HOW TO APPLY AND WHAT TO EXPECT

BEST ADVICE is to get a rep from the VVA, Viet Nam Vets of America (yes, they WILL help even Korean vets exposed to AO), American Legion , Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or Disabled American Vets (DAV) to represent you. They know a lot more about this than most of us individually, and they don't charge a dime to help you. If you call and they DON'T know about this, call another group! The admission about spraying in Korea only came about a couple of years ago, and is not widely publicized. For more information on the disability compensation programs of the VA, go to www.va.gov and click on “Compensation.”

Expect the process to take up to a year to 18 months. Mine took only 4 months, and you might be fortunate too. You can help speed the process by providing extensive documentation of your military assignments (your DD214 discharge paper at a minimum), your current medical condition and doctors’ statements, and list any OTHER medical conditions you now have that are secondary (as a result of) to MM and/or the medications you have to take to control MM. It is critical to list such things as peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety, sleep apnea, etc. if you or your doctor believe they are in any way related to your MM and/or the treatment for MM. These can legitimately add to your total compensation. NOTE: Effective date of disability for those approved will be the first of the month following receipt of application.

I am in the process of preparing a “blog” which will list many resources and groups to contact to aid in this process. I will post the URL of the “blog” on my homepage when I have it developed sufficiently. My homepage is www.caringbridge.org/ca/tomcourbat. It should be posted there by mid-October, 2003. I hope this is of help to our myelomic veterans.

-Tom Courbat, MM patient dx 9/26/01 and U.S. Army Vet (Korea:1968-1969)