Secretary-Designate McDonald Not in Step with Post Deployment Health – Big Mistake Under Oath

VA Secretary-Designate McDonald

Post Deployment Health in VA's Veterans Health Administration had better get the word to the Secretary-Designate! According to those folks, Mr. McDonald's uncle was never exposed to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. His uncle's present care from the VA is only provided because VA is forced to by the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

In his confirmation hearings before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee last week, Mr. McDonald described his service, and the service of his family, in the military from World War II, where his dad was a POW, to Vietnam, where his uncle was "exposed" to Agent Orange for which he now receives VA care. He said it, under oath. His uncle was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

...and under oath, too!

Careful there with your sworn testimony, Mr. McDonald. Big, big mistake!

You really should have run your testimony past your experts at Post Deployment Health. They have carefully explained to us, and to the Institute of Medicine, that none of the Vietnam ground troops was exposed to Agent Orange. Because your uncle can't prove bioavailability, he was never exposed! Give your uncle a call with the good news!

Forgive the sarcasm, please. We're on your side of the truth, but Post Deployment Health isn't.

What's the basis for this? Following the lead of their $300,000 per year consultant, VA Post Deployment Health has redefined exposure to require veterans also prove bioavailability...the presence of dioxin in the body. Like all other Vietnam vets, Mr. McDonald's uncle can't prove that, just as C-123 veterans can't prove such a thing three decades after our last flights.

Because of such an impossible barrier which VA used to deny their disability claims for decades, in 1991 Congress simply provided presumptive exposure for Vietnam veterans. For non-Vietnam vets like C-123 folks, we have to prove an exposure situation, and then the presumptive eligibility for Agent Orange benefits applies.

At least, that's the law. Its not the way the VA sees it, in their determination to "draw the line somewhere."

VA unscientifically redefined exposure to skip out on its own commitments made in the Federal Register regarding post-Vietnam Agent Orange exposures..."exposure = contamination field plus bioavailability."

We wish Mr. McDonald great success in leading the VA to new levels of excellence. We certainly wish his

uncle well in the care he receives from the VA for his Agent Orange exposure. We wish VA would not reinvent "exposure" as their tactic to prevent giving us the same vital care.