O’ kaaay, so the VA is off limits here, sorry about that
I have to qualify the following information because this stuff is just from what I have experienced.
I don’t know what the standard flags are for Agent Orange. I know prostate cancer is one of them, I couldn’t tell you anything about liver cancer. Back in the 1980’s I received survey from the government I’m not sure anymore of the department but it was a questionnaire about Agent Orange exposure. (maybe because I worked with the stuff for almost 3 years) Why I got it I have no clue; my point is there are very specific guidelines of what Agent Orange does affect and what it does not affect or is responsible for.
From what you’re saying I take it he was already a patient at the VA, It’s next impossible to get into the VA without a service connected claim. Then while a patient they missed the cancer until it was too late. I here horror stories of people “falling through the cracks” a lot; which is a sad fact of many VA’s. I’m sorry for your loss and could never begin to analyze what happened there. My wife has a friend that the same thing happened to her husband. (Undiagnosed cancer until it was too late.) From what I understand they do lower the benefit somewhat when only one person is left but do not stop compensation completely. Assuming your father in law made a compensation claim for his illness to be initially admitted to the VA an Agent Orange claim “percentage” would have been added to the original claim. Your story is a very sad one indeed.
I was diagnosed with cancer in 05. My family doctor found the cancer; sent me to a specialist and was treated privately - not through the VA. Agent Orange is a very “symptom specific” claim (albeit liberal in requirements) but it seems liver cancer may not be one of them.
I have to qualify the following information because this stuff is just from what I have experienced.
I don’t know what the standard flags are for Agent Orange. I know prostate cancer is one of them, I couldn’t tell you anything about liver cancer. Back in the 1980’s I received survey from the government I’m not sure anymore of the department but it was a questionnaire about Agent Orange exposure. (maybe because I worked with the stuff for almost 3 years) Why I got it I have no clue; my point is there are very specific guidelines of what Agent Orange does affect and what it does not affect or is responsible for.
From what you’re saying I take it he was already a patient at the VA, It’s next impossible to get into the VA without a service connected claim. Then while a patient they missed the cancer until it was too late. I here horror stories of people “falling through the cracks” a lot; which is a sad fact of many VA’s. I’m sorry for your loss and could never begin to analyze what happened there. My wife has a friend that the same thing happened to her husband. (Undiagnosed cancer until it was too late.) From what I understand they do lower the benefit somewhat when only one person is left but do not stop compensation completely. Assuming your father in law made a compensation claim for his illness to be initially admitted to the VA an Agent Orange claim “percentage” would have been added to the original claim. Your story is a very sad one indeed.
I was diagnosed with cancer in 05. My family doctor found the cancer; sent me to a specialist and was treated privately - not through the VA. Agent Orange is a very “symptom specific” claim (albeit liberal in requirements) but it seems liver cancer may not be one of them.
