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
