Blue Water Navy Vietnam Vets PCa Disability Benefits

As a veteran, I am glad to see that the VA is now allowing "blue water" Navy vets to be eligible for PCa-related benefits. ("Blue water" Navy veterans being those who, as the link says, served on U.S. Navy ships "... not more than 12 nautical miles seaward from ... the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia" (as opposed to "brown water" Navy vets, those who served on in-country Navy vessels on the rivers and waterways within those two countries).

Prostate cancer is number 12 on the list of "presumptive conditions" listed in the link for which Vietnam veterans may apply for benefits.

The link also says that If those veterans were denied claims for benefits in the past, they are now "urged to file a new claim" which will be processed, and they will presumably now be awarded benefits.

It is also gratifying to read that "... If the claimant dies while his or her claim is pending, a living dependent, such as a spouse or child, may file a request to be substituted as the claimant."

There has been at least one poster here on this forum in the past, Purgatory, who was a "blue water" veteran, and who reported to us the difficulties he had in trying to get VA benefits, being in that category before this new policy. He reported that he eventually did receive benefits after much effort, but it's good to know that others in that group will now have it easier because of this policy change.

A cynic might say that the government is finally enabling this extension of benefits only because the number of Navy vets affected by this has significantly decreased over the years due to their passing from age, and thus the benefit cost to the government is less than it would have been before.

But I am willing to think that the government is taking this action now because it realized that those veterans are now passing away in larger numbers, their active duty service did qualify them for benefits, and they should be granted benefits now while there is still time.

In either case, it's a commendable action by the government, through the VA, for this deserving group.

This new VA policy will be implemented effective January of next year, the link says.

I am a Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran. I applied for, and my claim was denied in 2006, which I posted about on this forum. Fast forward 13 years:I received a letter from the VA Administration this month asking me to reapply for disability benefits because of the new Act of Congress. I posted the link to alert anyone who might be in the same category as me. I participated in the Easter Offensive of 1972, when 30,000 North Vietnamese troops crossed the DMZ, the mining of Haiphong Harbor near Hanoi, and coastal bombardment along the North Vietnam coast.

Woody,

Apply for benefits now, because the new 2019 Act will cover Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans retroactively. Also, if you have any ongoing PCa-related issues, for example, incontinence or ED, you may get disability compensation.

If you previously applied for benefits, as I did, you simply fill out a short separate form and mail it in; if not, there is a longer form. You will need to provide medical documentation of your PCa and treatments you received. If you have a copy of your DD 214 showing the ship(s) you served on, that will help, too. The link I provided has answers to most FAQs and a phone number to call with any questions.

woodyvt said...
Atomic Veteran here with Prostate Cancer discovered in 2012, had prostate removed, returned in 2015, 39 radiation treatments, once a year blood test, last one in Sept was .01, VA says not covered but i have still been fighting them for 7 years, 6 men i know for sure on the ship has had prostate cancer.

Dealing with VA as we speak, I spent ten years in Nuclear Ordnance Platoon (NOP), working around Nukes. Of course VA is dragging their feet. Got to stay persistent, and just stay in the fight.

Holidayhill,
The vetsbenefits.net that 81GyGuy mentioned above is the place to go for info and advice about Agent Orange and other VA issues. Payment for ED is considered a Special Monthly Compensation and is paid in addition to your regular disability pay. Payment for service-connected ED is an additional $108 per month. But before applying for it I would post the question at the vetsbenefits site. There are folks there with expertise in the workings of the VA including a few guys who have worked as ratings officers for the VA or as veterans agents.

I suggest posting your question in that board's "C&P Exams, DBQ's Etc." discussion area. An issue you want to ask about is whether opening a request for ED payment now will trigger an earlier than expected re-evaluation of your current temporary 100 percent disability payment. In the normal course of events, you would remain at 100 percent disability for 6 months after the end of treatment (surgery, radiation, etc.). Then you should expect to be called in for a C&P (Compensation and Pensions) exam. At that point, if your cancer is no longer active, you will receive a new rating based on just the residual effects of your treatment - extent of leakage, if any; how often you need to urinate; how often need to get up at night; any problems from surgical scars, etc. Your new rating will then be reduced from the temporary post-treatment 100 percent to a lower percentage of probably 10 percent to maybe 40 percent or so depending on the extent of your residual effects from treatment. You would also then get payment on top of that of the extra $108 for ED.

What you need to ask on the vetsbenefits forum is if asking for the extra ED payment now will trigger an earlier C&P exam and could that result in a new lower rating a couple of months sooner than would happen otherwise.
Jim