|
Where
to Go For Information and Help
Veterans concerned about
their exposure to radiation and its possible long-term
health consequences
--
nearly every VA medical center offers the VA’s Ionizing
Radiation Registry health examination. Veterans who were
exposed to radiation during their military service are
encouraged to participate in this voluntary program. Call
the nearest VA medical center for an appointment. The
telephone number should be included in your local
telephone directory under the "U.S. Government"
listings. VA medical centers have designated an
Environmental Health Clinician and an Environmental Health
Coordinator. The Clinician performs (or supervises) the
registry examination; the Coordinator is responsible for
handling the administrative aspects of the program. For
general information about VA health benefits and
enrollment in the VA health care system, call 1-877-222-8387.
Veterans are not required to enroll in the system in order
to receive the registry examination. To find out who the
Environmental Health Coordinator and Clinician are, a
veteran can contact the nearest VA medical center.
Veterans
who need prompt medical treatment for conditions that may
be related to their exposure to radiation during military
service
– contact the nearest VA medical center for
eligibility information and possible medical treatment.
Atomic veterans seeking care solely for health problems
associated with exposure to radiation have been assigned
to category six in the enrollment priorities system. Call
the number above for information on this subject.
Veterans
with illnesses incurred in or aggravated by exposure to
radiation or some other aspect of military service
–
contact a VA veterans services representative (VSR) at the
nearest VA regional office or health care facility and
apply for disability compensation. The national toll-free
telephone number for information regarding VA benefits is 1-800-827-1000.
Also, VA applications are available on the Internet at vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp.
Veterans
who encounter difficulties at a VA medical center
–
contact the Patient Advocate or Patient Representative at
that facility for assistance in resolving the problem.
Representatives
of various Veteran Service Organizations, including
The American Legion (1-800-433-3318, www.legion.org),
Paralyzed Veterans of America (1-800-424-8200, www.pva.org)
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (1-800-VFW-1899,
www.vfw.org), Disabled American Veterans (1-877-426-2838,
www.dav.org), National Association of Atomic
Veterans (www.naav.com), and others have been very helpful
to veterans exposed to radiation who are seeking
disability compensation. The email address for the
National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV) is www.naav.com.
NAAV Commander William A. Harper’s is pbharper@mindspring.com.
His telephone number is 480-895-0676. NAAV Vice
Commander Robert M. Campbell Jr. is hotdoc0@cox.net.
Mr. Campbell’s telephone number is 610-596-2234.
(These organizations are cited as examples. There are many
other very helpful organizations. VA does not endorse or
recommend any specific group over another.)
Country
and State Veteran Service Officers also have been
of great help to many military veterans.
http://www1.va.gov/irad/docs/IonizingRadiationNewsletterDec2004.pdf |
