For years, veterans and their advocates have fought to add hypertension to the list of presumptive diseases linked to exposure to Agent Orange. This fight is finally paying off.
A 2018 report by the National Academies of Sciences found sufficient evidence to link hypertension to herbicide exposure. But the previous VA secretary promised to wait until the results of two additional studies (which were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic) were published before making a decision.
The VA’s Recent Ruling
In 2018, researchers discovered that hypertension is a direct result of exposure to Agent Orange. Since then, advocates have worked to add the condition to a list of ailments called presumptive conditions. This list lowers the proof veterans must supply to receive VA benefits. Only the VA secretary can add or remove medical conditions from this list.
Earlier this year, Congress passed legislation that would allow the VA to add bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism to its list of presumptive diseases linked to Agent Orange. If the bill becomes law, Veterans with these illnesses will have their claims reviewed and paid without having to file new ones.
The National Academies of Sciences
The National Academies of Sciences, composed of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, is a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress. Members have a long tradition of offering government organizations their professional opinions and work pro gratis as “advisers to the nation” in science, engineering, and medicine.
Last week, researchers with the National Academies of Sciences found that there is sufficient evidence to link hypertension with Agent Orange exposure. This is a massive victory for veterans seeking recognition of this condition for decades.
The potential link between Agent Orange and hypertension is a subject of ongoing study and concern among veterans as they seek clarification and resources regarding the possible association between exposure to this herbicide and the development of high blood pressure.
The ailment will now be considered for inclusion on the VA’s list of illnesses believed to be brought on by exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange by the Congressionally mandated Institute of Medicine assessment. Over the years, Congress and the VA have added bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinson ‘s-like tremors to this list of presumptive illnesses. This means that veterans suffering from these conditions only have to prove their service and connection to these chemicals, and they will receive the disability benefits they deserve.
The National Veterans Legal Services Program
NVLSP lawyers leverage their legal expertise, advanced advocacy skills, and extensive knowledge of VA regulations and procedures to represent veterans and their families. NVLSP brings class actions and other law reform litigation to remove systemic barriers to justice, recruits, and trains thousands of volunteer attorneys through our Lawyers Serving Warriors pro bono program, and produces educational materials that empower advocates.
Until now, the VA has only recognized bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinson’s disease as conditions presumptively linked to wartime herbicide exposure. It took legislative action to force the agency to grant that presumption to veterans with those diseases.
Those veterans will now be eligible to recover disability compensation if they have hypertension as well, but their claims may be denied initially by VA examiners. Experienced veterans law attorneys can help them to appeal that decision and receive the benefits they deserve. The attorneys for NVLSP have made hundreds of appeals in the US of Appeals for Veterans Claims and have a strong winning record.
The American Legion
The American Legion has been at the forefront of advocating for veterans since its beginnings. It started with a man named Paul Reutershan, who read about Maude DeVictor’s research correlating illnesses of Vietnam veterans to their exposure to Agent Orange.
In 1986, A class-action lawsuit NVLSP filed on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Vietnam soldiers and their survivors, contesting the VA’s “chloracne only” policy. The Veterans Affairs Department. That case was one of the most far-reaching Agent Orange legal victories.
Thanks to this court ruling and the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022, hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance are now added to the list of illnesses for which veterans have presumptive service connections. This means that veterans who served in Vietnam and meet other requirements may now qualify for benefits for these conditions. This is an essential victory for veterans who deserve to be compensated for the damage caused by the toxic herbicides they were exposed to.
