STAND UP FOR BILL
(And Other Veterans and Their Families)
I would like to create state and federal legislation that does the following:
1. Directs the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to create free, accredited continuing professional education (CPE) for civilian health care workers and paramedical case workers (including social workers and chaplains) on veterans health issues.
2. Directs all health care providers to change their intake forms and health questionnaires to ask if patients “had any US military service” in order to “begin the conversation”. Self identified veterans should be asked to fill out an additional military questionnaire. A proposed format is available.
3. Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to require that all health care workers (including VA health care workers and CHOICE doctors) be familiar with compensable diseases and disabilities so they can refer Vets and their families to the VA benefits office for evaluation and additional assistance.
4. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to use public service announcements and other media to reach out to veterans and their families to inform them about presumed connected disabilities and report back to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Nevada state governor and the veterans legislative committee annually on the effectiveness of these techniques.
5. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to prominently display flyers and other media on presumed connected disabilities to all offices that work with veterans and their families, including VA cemeteries.
6. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to prominently display flyers and other media about survivor benefits to all offices that work with veterans and their families, including VA cemeteries.
7. Directs the VA and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services to contact civilian support groups that routinely work with people who have one of the presumed connected disabilities (e.g. the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and work with them to identify veterans, children and grandchildren who have a disease presumed connected to military service. Identified veterans and family members should be referred to designated VA resources. Records of these referrals should be rolled up to the governor, state legislative affairs committee and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on a yearly basis.
8. Directs each state to keep records and prepare a yearly report to the governor, the veterans legislative committee and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs evaluating the effectiveness of the training delivered, contacts made and media used to provide information to veterans, spouses and health care professionals.
WE MUST ACT NOW
• We must make sure that Vietnam Veterans who have a presumed connected disease take full advantage of the benefits that they earned by their service to our country.
• We must make sure that Vietnam Veteran survivors have access to the benefits that their loved one earned by their service to our country.
• We must make sure that veterans from other conflicts such as the Korean War, the Gulf War, Iraq War, the war in Afghanistan, certain defense department projects and Camp Lejeune know about the diseases and disabilities presumed connected to their military service.
• We must act now to protect the children and grandchildren of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service.
The VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for benefits for these diseases.
• A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
• A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
• A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
• A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
• A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
• A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain also called coronary artery disease
• A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
• A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
• A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
• A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure
• A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides
• Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
and cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
• Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma) A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis aka Lou Gehrig’s disease causes the death of neuron controlling voluntary muscles. This disease is associated with service in Vietnam.
If you would like to help me in this effort, or if you have ideas on how to spread the word about presumed connected disabilities, please feel free to contact me. I am Barbara Rodgick and I am the widow of an Agent Orange Vet. My phone number is 425-442-7563 and my email address is barbara98065@gmail.com. 8/18/18
