As with veterans of any period, Vietnam veterans with disabilities arising during or aggravated by military service may receive monthly VA compensation. As knowledge has grown from studies of Agent Orange, some latent diseases that may not have become evident in service have been recognized presumptively. Compensation, health care and vocation rehabilitation services are provided to Vietnam veterans' offspring with spina bifida, a congenital birth defect of the spine. Since VA developed the Agent Orange Registry Examination Program in 1978 to identify Vietnam veterans concerned about Agent Orange exposure, some 257,762 Vietnam veterans have been provided examinations under the Registry program as of September 1997. VA maintains a computerized registry of data from these examinations.
Registrants receive periodic updates on studies and policy.
VA's Advisory Committee on Health-Related Effects of Herbicides was established in 1979 to examine issues surrounding the possible health effects of herbicides on Vietnam veterans. NAS is reviewing and evaluating available scientific literature on the subject. NAS reviewed more than 6,000 abstracts of scientific or medical articles and analyzed 230 epidemiological studies before its initial July 1993 report, which led to the inclusion of additional diseases on the list for presumptive service-connection. The NAS review has been continuing, with acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer and spina bifida added to VA's presumptive list after the NAS issued an update report in March 1996. While many may be receiving service-connection and compensation for conditions unrelated to exposure to Agent Orange, claims paid to veterans or survivors for at least one of the presumptive diseases totaled 4,255.