Thousands of veterans who served during the Gulf War in the 1990s continue to report mysterious symptoms, especially short-term memory loss and debilitating fatigue, over 20 years later.
The collection of ailments that active duty soldiers and veterans reported after the operation to oust Saddam Hussein from Kuwait ended in 1991 were known as Gulf War syndrome, Gulf War illness and most recently, as chronic multi-symptom illness.
To address the health complaints of veterans, U.S. officials set up the Gulf War Registry, which involved self-reporting the kinds of ailments that the veterans had. As of March 31 of this year, the registry included a total of 145,612 veterans enrolled. That’s nearly one in five of those who were deployed.
Initially, military and Veterans Affairs officials said the ailments stemmed from post-traumatic stress disorder, which irked the veterans and legislators who wanted better explanations.
Over the years, the suspected culprits for gulf war illness have included the experimental anthrax vaccine and an anti-nerve agent pill given to soldiers before the war, exposures to chemical agents from the bombings of Iraqi chemical bunkers, fumes from the oil well fires that Saddam ordered, and other toxins in the environments.
US officials have said none of these factors are responsible for Gulf War syndrome. Coalition forces from Britain complained of similar symptoms as US soldiers, and the British soldiers were also administered a vaccine.
In response to concerns of French soldiers who took part in Desert Storm, the French government commissioned a health study, and the results were published in a 2006 report, which did not find clusters of ailments similar to those of US and British soldiers. The French soldiers were not given the anthrax vaccine in preparation for Desert Storm, and instead were given antibiotics, French officials said.
While progress may be slow, lawmakers in Washington are taking notice. Last month, Congressman Mike Coffman introduced the Gulf War Health Research Reform Act (House Resolution 4261), which gives greater independence to the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness from the Veterans Affairs Department.
Paul Sullivan, who helped write and pass the Persian Gulf War Veterans Act, had some scathing remarks for the VA. Sullivan accused the VA of blocking a 1998 law that supported research, treatment, and benefits for Gulf War veterans, and he supports a bill to give the VA Secretary greater authority to “remove the top VA leaders who continue failing the 250,000 ill Gulf War veterans.”
The VA denied the allegations, saying they support the research efforts to improve veterans’ treatment and continue to welcome input and advice from the Research Advisory Committee.
Read more on the Stars & Stripes Report here: http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/gulf-war-illness-thousands-who-served-still-report-mysterious-symptoms-1.279132?=&utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans attorney, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
The post Gulf War Syndrome is going to be for us what Agent Orange was for the Vietnam Veterans first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Service Connected Disability Compensation
Tax-free payments, based on a sliding scale of disabilities, are available to veterans whose injury or disease results from military service. This includes related conditions which may not have produced symptoms prior to discharge. Higher rates of compensation are awarded for specific categories, such as loss of a limb, the effects of Agent Orange or supports needed for “activities of daily living,” such as bathing, dressing and dispensing of medication. Compensation for daily living supports is also available for parents and spouses.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
Tax-free payments are provided to surviving spouses, children and parents of military personnel who have died during active duty, in training or as the result of a service-connected disability. Income limits apply in the case of parents.
Non-Service-Connected Pension with Aid and Attendance
Veterans with non-service-related disabilities, who completed at least one day of active duty service during a war-time period (World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam or the Gulf War) and served for a minimum of 90 days, may be eligible for non-taxable “Aid and Attendance.” It does not matter that they may have been stationed stateside or outside a combat zone.
Veterans who may have too much income to qualify for the base low-income pension may qualify for Pension with Aid and Attendance if they have high medical care expenses. Aid and Attendance may pay for the cost of caregivers who assist individuals with two or more activities of daily living (ADLs). Such services can be provided in the home, in a personal care or assisted living facility, or nursing home. Spouses are also eligible.
This benefit has stringent income and asset requirements. A veteran who has a high income, however, may still be eligible after the deduction of recurring, unreimbursed medical expenses, including prescriptions, insurance premiums and caregiver costs. Although there is currently no penalty for “spending down” assets before applying, pending federal legislation is likely to penalize individuals who dispose of assets at less than their fair market value within three years of filing.
While the value of an individual’s primary residence is not considered in the asset calculations, if the home is subsequently sold to help pay for a greater level of care, those funds could interrupt Aid and Attendance payments and require reapplication once the money has been spent. For this reason, it’s important to analyze long-term needs and options before submitting a claim.
However, the link between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the risk of IBS is a real concern for veterans, according to national medical researchers. The Department of Veterans Affairs has determined that IBS is a disorder that can be classified as a disability if related to military service – though the exact cause of the syndrome is difficult to pinpoint.
“The link between being a veteran and having a higher risk of IBS is unclear, partly because the underlying cause [of IBS] is unclear” says Dr. Phillip Schoenfeld, a University of Michigan medical school professor and expert in gastroenterology, including IBS.
Certainly, stress induced from service during wartime may exacerbate symptoms by inducing chemical and hormonal changes. For example, one research finding is that female veterans suffering from PTSD are much more likely to have IBS than female veterans who don’t have PTSD, says Dr. Schoenfeld, who leads the gastroenterology division at the Ann Arbor VA hospital.
In 2010, Congress did request the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences to begin a comprehensive review of best treatments for chronic multi-symptom illnesses, or CMI, faced by Gulf War veterans. The report confirmed a growing consensus that no “specific causal factor” will be identified for IBS, however “stress and crowded war theater conditions” that may exacerbate the spreading of infections are suggested as triggers for IBS.
Whatever the cause, the correlation between PTSD and IBS is no laughing matter for veterans. “Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder that really compromises the daily lives of veterans,” Dr. Schoenfeld says.
Schoenfeld further notes that while it is difficult to put a value on what disorders need more research dollars, IBS is not one that should be dismissed as having a negligible impact on veterans’ lives.
Learn more about the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences’ study on CMI illnesses here: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13539
Read more on the issue of PTSD and IBS here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/01/16/263087761/doctors-say-reid-request-for-bowel-research-money-no-joke
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
The post PTSD – Irritable Bowel Syndrome link is no joke for Vets first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Veteran Disability Attorney
Ok, you have heard about the backlog of claims at VA. But who is in that clog? Vietnam era veterans account for the largest share of the 865,000 veterans stuck in the clog. They are 37% of the clog according to VA statistics. The post 9-11 wars inAfghanistan andIraq account for 20%. The remainder,43%, are from the 1991 Gulf War,Korea, World War II and times of peace. Some reasons are obvious – aging population and resulting increasing health issues and some reasons are subtle – changing attitudes. This LA Times article discusses the clog and the reasons.
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
The post Who is in the Backlog? first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Veteran Advocate
A scientist is alleging that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is hiding data.
According to a scientist for the VA, the agency’s Office of Public Health has been hiding research which indicated that vets have been affected by exposure to toxins since the Persian Gulf War.
Steven Coughlin quit working at the VA in late 2012 due to what he called “serious ethical concerns.” He testified to the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations that the VA’s public health office is invested in hiding evidence of illnesses attributed to the Gulf War. Evidence that has been released, alleges Coughlin, has been recalibrated to look “unintelligible.” He also said that his office did not release their findings as part of a study which cost as much as $10 million and which found exposure to oil well fires, pesticides and other toxins for as many as 60,000Iraqand Afghan war veterans.
Coughlin also stated that a study which was congressionally mandated regarding Gulf War vets and family was not released, and alleges that he was told the results of the study were “permanently lost.” He said that research which points to Gulf War illnesses as neurological was unlikely to be released, and that one of his supervisors threatened to retaliate against Coughlin when he did not want to intentionally leave out data.
The chief of the VA’s public health and environmental hazards office, Victoria Davey, has stated that her office maintains strict analysis and publishing guidelines, but she did not address directly the allegations made by Coughlin. The VA has issued a statement that the VA Office of Research Oversight will be reviewing the claims put forth by Coughlin, and that they took every opportunity to seriously and fully pursue allegations of malfeasance.
Coughlin’s claim includes allegations that he was told to not examine data on the number and type of medical visits and hospitalizations as part of his research on burn pits and health issues among troops inIraqandAfghanistan.IraqandAfghanistanwar vets reported a number of debilitating respiratory issues many believe may be the result of inhaling trash burn pit smoke located in combat zones. Coughlin stated that he was threatened after informing his supervisor that he would not continue his research project with redacted information.
Gulf War vets returned to the States after 1991, and have reported numerous medical issues. While the VA has recognized some medical issues as the result of Gulf War service, many vets have been told their medical issues are psychologically based. The VA formally recognized nine illnesses resulting from Gulf War service in 2010.
The VA has spent an estimated $120 million on research since 2002 to determine the origins of Gulf War illnesses, but some researchers allege that a portion of the funds never made it to back the research. They also allege that ten million dollars from the fund went to the “Gulf War Biorepository Trust,” a brain bank for vets with ALS. But of the 60 brains in the bank, all but one was from older vets, not ones who served in the Gulf War.
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
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