Is the VA processing Blue Water Navy claims?

“VA is working as quickly as possible to review these claims,” the agency said Tuesday. Since Blue Water Navy veterans became eligible for VA benefits in 2019, the department has processed more than 45,000 claims and paid nearly $900 million in retroactive benefits.

What is a blue water Vietnam veteran?

At issue is a complex collection of rules which followed implementation of the 2019 bill granting presumptive benefits status to Blue Water Vietnam Veterans — individuals who served on ships off the coast of that country during the war, but never set foot on land.

Are Blue Water veterans get Agent Orange benefits?

An estimated 90,000 Blue Water veterans were ineligible for Agent Orange related benefits until January 2020, after the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 was signed into law. “The Acts extended benefits to all those military personnel who had served within ‘the Republic of Vietnam. ‘ ”

How many Blue Water Navy veterans are there?

VA approves claims for more than 22,500 Blue Water Navy veterans | The American Legion.

What are blue water legislation requirements?

The law states that Veterans aboard a vessel operating not more than 12 nautical miles seaward from the demarcation line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia as defined in Public Law 116-23, between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides such as Agent Orange and may be …

What is VA Blue Water legislation requirements?

What are the new presumptive diseases for Agent Orange?

New Conditions on The Agent Orange Presumptive List

Bladder Cancer.
Hypothyroidism: A condition occurs when the thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormones.
Parkinsonism: A condition with symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, including tremors, impaired speech, muscle stiffness, and slow movement.

What is blue water in the Navy?

The term “blue-water navy” is a maritime geographical term in contrast with ” brown-water navy ” and ” green-water navy “. The Defense Security Service of the United States has defined the blue-water navy as “a maritime force capable of sustained operation across the deep waters of open oceans.

What is blue water in Vietnam?

Blue Water Veterans is a phrase commonly used to describe Vietnam veterans that served on open sea ships off the shore of Vietnam. The Department of Veterans Affairs treats Blue Water Veterans differently than Brown Water Veterans in disability compensation claims.

What is the Blue Water veteran act?

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would extend eligibility for disability compensation and health care to “Blue Water” Navy veterans – servicemembers who were aboard aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other ships, some of whom have fought for years to prove they were exposed to Agent Orange .

What is blue water sailor?

Those Navy veterans, known as Blue Water sailors, who never had boots-on-ground, hopefully will see day light at the end of the tunnel. The realization of the VA benefits for disability is based solely on the Legislative passage of a new Congressional Bill.