COASTAL LIVING
      

Agent Orange Helpline Established

            In a recent Press Release the VA announced the establishment of a new national toll-free helpline for Vietnam veterans to answer their questions about Agent Orange exposure, available health care and possible VA benefits.  The new helpline (1-800-749-8387) is part of a continuing VA initiative to reach America's Vietnam veterans which number over two million.

Callers can speak directly to VA representatives Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) or at other times veterans can access a 24-hour automated communications system.  Using the automated system, veterans can leave voice mail messages to have specific information sent to them or can listen to recorded messages about Agent Orange related issues, VA health care and disability compensation.

            The VA anticipates considerable interest in this helpline because of a new policy that will allow Vietnam veterans with adult-onset (Type II) Diabetes to receive disability compensation for ongoing medical problems linked to Agent Orange or other herbicides used during the war.  VA now recognizes ten medical conditions as being associated in the exposure to Agent Orange.   They are:

·        Chloracne

·        Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

·        Soft tissue sarcoma

·        Hodgkin's disease

·        Porphyria cutanea tarda

·        Multiple myeloma

·        Respiratory cancers, including cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea and bronchus

·        Prostate cancer

·        Peripheral neuropathy (transient acute or subacute)

·        Diabetes (specific regulations pending).

There are also conditions recognized in children of Vietnam veterans, which are:

·        Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta)

·        Other birth defects in the children of women Vietnam veterans (regulations pending).

For more information about this important subject contact the Agent Orange Hotline at 1-800-749-8387, visit the Agent Orange web page at www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/herbicide or call Veterans Services at (252)728-8440.

Attention Veterans of World War II

            Did you know that for months a group of World War II veterans has been periodically meeting for lunch?  At their last gathering they had over 100 of that "Greatest Generation” in attendance.  They call themselves the R.O.M.E.O. Club (Retired Old Men Eating Out).  The group has no charter, no officers, no dues, no agenda.  Their sole purpose is camaraderie, goodwill and fellowship.  If you are interested in being part of this group and joining their ranks, the details of their next luncheon are:

                        Formation:             Monday, April 9, 2001, 1200 Hours (noon)

                        Location:             Sanitary Restaurant, Morehead City Waterfront

VA Expenditures In Carteret County

            The North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs recently provided statistics concerning VA expenditures in Carteret County:

            Compensation & Pension                         $ 10,774,827

            Vocational Rehabilitation                         $      516,890

            Insurance & Indemnities                         $      586,417

            TOTAL                                                 $ 11,878,134

            This total dollar amount equates to an 8.7% increase in VA expenditures as compared to 1999 financial data.  The above VA expenditures do not include VA expenditures in the western part of our County with a Swansboro zip code; nor does it include medical care/medicine provided to County residents by VA Medical Centers.

For the Military Retiree, a Better Dental Plan

Effective October 1, 2000, military retirees now have a more comprehensive dental plan that adds more than 100 new dental procedures to enhanced TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan.  The new program supersedes one started in early 1998 and expands eligibility criteria to now include:

Services include basic and preventative services, oral surgery, periodontal treatments, root canals and emergency services.  Also included are crowns, bridges, full/partial dentures and orthodontics. Monthly premiums are based upon geographic region.  For eligibility questions or monthly premium rates per region, call TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan Enrollment Services toll free at 1-888-838-8737.  The Veterans Services Office has a very informative package on this Dental Plan.  If you would like a copy, just call (252)728-8440.

Memorial Headstones and Markers

            Did you know that the VA will provide memorial headstones and markers for eligible veterans whose remains are not recovered or identified, are buried at sea, donated to science or scattered after cremation?  These headstones and markers – which can be for an individual or a group – bear an "In Memory of" inscription as their first line and must be placed in a recognized cemetery.  For more information on this subject call the VA Memorial Programs Service at 1-800-697-6947 or County Veterans Services at (252)728-8440.