2021 Veterans Day Q&A with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough

VA is committed to ensuring timely access to benefits and services for all Veterans. To assist with the backlog, VA is hiring and training 2,000 new employees to assist in claims processing, leveraging authority to transfer CARES funding to VBA and utilize the American Rescue Plan to fund overtime to ensure timely claims processing. VA is also deploying Fiscal Year 2022 budget resources for general Compensation and Pension claims processing.

Cases at the Board are worked in docket order (in the order in which received). As of the beginning of November, the Board is assigning cases from Aug 2019 or earlier for a decision. You can monitor the Boards docket date on our website at bva.va.gov.

I hope it was not at Ft. McClellan AL, apparently it is an extremely large joke when you mention being exposed at the most contaminated place on earth. Congress will not even pass a bill authorizing monitoring Ft. McClellan vets because they know what went on there.

We are pleased to see that you have filed a claim for hypothyroid disease. Veterans who are experiencing health issues that they associate with their service should see their primary care provider or local environmental health provider. Veterans may also file a claim for disability compensation. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. Many Veterans Service Organizations can assist Veterans in filing claims.

I was in Balad, in 2005 and my lungs are beyond repair due to the burn pits. The VA acts like none of this ever happened because Cheney and his goons allowed the companies contracted to operate the pits to self-report the safety of exposure. Jon Stewart has worked harder for the vets than the VA. The VA used to be called the Veterans Insurance Bureau, so it makes a lot of since that their whole m.o. is to deny everything until you write your congressman/woman. Good luck with everything, I hope you get what's owed to you.

In Vietnam we burned human shit. I have no problems with it but wonder if some Vietnam vets do?

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals found in many products, such as clothing, carpets, fabrics for furniture, adhesives, paper packaging for food, and heat-resistant/non-stick cookware. They are also present in fire-fighting foams (or aqueous film forming foam; AFFF) used by both civilian and military firefighters. They are persistent (i.e., they do not break down) in the environment, and since they are used in the manufacturing of so many products, they are widespread internationally.

VA does not recommend blood tests to determine levels of PFAS in any individual. This is because most people in the U.S. have measurable amounts of PFAS in their blood and normal ranges have not been established. Also, blood tests cannot be linked to current or future health conditions or guide medical treatment decisions.
Exposure to PFAS During Military Service
In the 1970s, the Department of Defense began using AFFF to fight fuel fires. The release of these chemicals into the environment during training and emergency responses is a major source of PFAS contamination of ground water on military bases.
Concerns have recently been raised from communities surrounding bases about whether PFAS-contaminated ground water on military bases may be affecting off-base water supplies. The Department of Defense (DoD) is currently conducting an investigation into the extent of PFAS contamination on its bases and is taking several actions to protect against future exposure.
Read more about DoD efforts.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with establishing regulations for the presence of potentially harmful substances in air and drinking water in the US. PFAS are not currently regulated by EPA; however, EPA has several activities underway to learn more about the toxicity of PFAS, designate the family as hazardous substances to initiate clean up, and create drinking water standards where indicated. VA is closely monitoring these activities. Read more about EPA's efforts.
PFAS can be found throughout the world and most people have been exposed at low levels. According to the EPA, PFAS can be detected in the blood of most people. The likelihood of health problems from PFAS depends on several factors, including the concentration, frequency, and duration of exposure. More research is needed to understand the link between exposure to PFAS and health effects in humans.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR), some studies in humans suggest that certain PFAS may be associated with:
- Fertility issues and pregnancy-induced hypertension/preeclampsia
- Increased cholesterol
- Changes in the immune system
- Increased risk of certain cancers (e.g., testicular and kidney cancer)
- Changes in fetal and child development
- Liver damage
- Increased risk of thyroid disease
- Increased risk of asthma
Although some studies have reported these possible health outcomes, the overall scientific and medical evidence is currently inconclusive.
In addition to reviewing the potential health effects of PFAS, ATSDR is also involved in several communities with documented PFAS contamination. They conduct exposure assessments and provide technical assistance to local officials to help inform the members of these communities about their potential exposure to PFAS through drinking water. VA is closely monitoring these efforts.
Learn more about ATSDR's work on PFAS.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program (NIEHS/NTP; divisions of the National Institutes of Health) are supporting research to better understand the potential health effects of exposure to PFAS. Currently, NIEHS/NTP are conducting toxicity studies on PFAS (primarily in animal models) and funding other studies that investigate health effects in humans, as well as methods for reducing the potential for exposure to PFAS in the environment. VA is closely monitoring these efforts. Read more about NIEHS/NTP's efforts.
If you are concerned about health problems associated with exposure to PFAS during your military service, talk to your health care provider or local VA Environmental Health Coordinator.
Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for health problems they believe are related to exposure to chemicals during military service. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. File a claim online.
Learn more about VA benefits.

Lincoln i GOT 2 1/2 years of it !!!

Fort McClellan was an Army installation in Alabama that opened in 1917.
Some members of the U.S. Army Chemical Corp School, Army Combat Development Command Chemical/Biological/Radiological Agency, Army Military Police School and Women's Army Corps, among others, may have been exposed to hazardous materials, at low levels, during service at Fort McClellan. Potential exposures could have included the following:
Radioactive compounds (cesium-137 and cobalt-60) used in decontamination training activities in isolated locations on base.
Chemical warfare agents (mustard gas and nerve agents) used in decontamination testing activities in isolated locations on base.
Agent Orange was not used, stored or buried at Fort McClellan.
Airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the Monsanto plant in the neighboring town.
Although exposures to high levels the compounds named above have been shown to cause a variety of adverse health effects in humans and laboratory animals, there is no evidence of exposures of this magnitude having occurred at Fort McClellan.

From 1929 to 1971, an off-post Monsanto chemical plant operated south of Fort McClellan in Anniston. PCBs from the plant entered into the environment, and the surrounding community was exposed.

Since the 1990s, several investigations have been conducted to characterize the exposure of Anniston residents to PCBs from the Monsanto plant. In 2015, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) published an assessment of the potential health risks caused by airborne PCBs in Anniston and concluded that the concentrations found were 'not expected to result in an increased cancer risk or other harmful health effects in people living in the neighborhoods outside the perimeter of the former PCB manufacturing facility.'
The bottom line: There are currently no adverse health conditions associated with service at Fort McClellan.

Registries are primarily used for research purposes, but many people believe that they are necessary to establish a claim for health or disability reasons. The six Congressionally mandated registries VA currently oversees related to military environmental exposures have no connection with the disability claim system. Self-reported registries are unlike disease registries and have significant limitations and are unable to cannot provide the answers many people seek about specific exposures unless everyone exposed is enrolled. This is not possible for Fort McClellan and VA does not recommend a registry for Fort McClellan. Well-designed epidemiologic studies are a better method of finding answers regarding military environmental exposures and VA is actively engaged in these efforts.

You can blame the Democratic,commenist party for all this mask vacine bullshit.

Thank you for your service. CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if in an area of substantial or high transmission. COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing infection, serious illness and death. People who are fully vaccinated can now participate in many of the activities they did before the pandemic. However, since vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, wearing a mask can help reduce the risk of becoming infected and potentially spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others.

Unfortunately, we are unable to answer questions specific to your individual claim in this forum due to privacy issues. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] for the status of your claim and so we may provide individual assistance. Additionally, without specific details we are unable to provide any response as we are unaware of any benefits being "ghosted."

Why does it take a 100% Disability to get Dental Benefits. I have lost crowns that were put in by the US Navy 50 YEARS AGO THAT ARE FALLING OUT AND i DO NOT HAVE DENTAL COVERAGE AT 80% DISABILITY!

There are approximately 1.36 million Veterans eligible for comprehensive dental care, and these patients are the majority of those treated either in-house at VA facilities, or through co-managed care in the community. Comprehensive care consists of outpatient dental treatment reasonably necessary and clinically determined by a treating dentist and authorized by the VA to attain and sustain oral health and function. The goal of treatment is to restore Veterans to a healthy dentition, which is planned through phased care. The first phase of treatment involves the elimination of disease through caries control and the removal of hopeless teeth to restore the periodontium to a healthy state. This essential first step should be completed prior to consideration of more complex care. The MISSION Act is a federal law designed to provide Veterans greater access to health care in VA facilities and the community, with provisions for both medical and dental care. This means some Veterans eligible for dental care through the VA may be authorized to see a provider in their local community. Authorization is dependent upon individual health care needs and circumstances. Visit https://missionact.va.gov/ for more information.