VA's Agent Orange Examination Program: Actions Needed To More Effectively Address Veterans' Health Concerns
HRD-83-6
Published: Oct 25, 1982. Publicly Released: Oct 25, 1982.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed Vietnam veterans' complaints regarding the Veterans Administration's (VA) Agent Orange program and related issues.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider whether 38 U.S.C. 3010(g) should be amended to extend the retroactive compensation period for Agent-Orange-related disability claims to the date the initial claim was filed. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
Congress passed legislation providing benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange or who were exposed to radiation from atomic tests or the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The law does not provide for retroactive entitlement and Senate staffers advised that such a provision would not be passed for several years when the evidence regarding the effects of exposure are known. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should discontinue the computerized Agent Orange registry and maintain a list of veterans who have had Agent Orange examinations. |
Closed – Not Implemented
VA again stated in its 60-day letter that it does not plan to implement this recommendation. VA said that the registry is a valuable tool in VA oversight of Agent Orange activities.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should revise the exposure history form and use the standard VA physical examination and medical history forms to gather more thorough information during Agent Orange examinations. |
Closed – Implemented
VA revised its forms.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should require environmental physicians to review all examinations records to ensure that examinations are thorough and documented. |
Closed – Implemented
VA issued a circular explaining environmental physician responsibilities.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should direct VA physicians to document all findings for every factor described in VA Agent Orange program circulars for each examination. |
Closed – Implemented
VA issued a circular.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should reemphasize to VA medical facilities the importance of providing examinations in a timely manner. |
Closed – Implemented
VA emphasized this in conference calls and issuance of circulars.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should direct VA medical facilities to ensure that examining physicians are familiar with available information on Agent Orange and that they provide this information to all veterans examined. |
Closed – Implemented
VA issued a circular.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should direct VA medical facilities to inform veterans seeking Agent Orange examinations of the examination's limitations. |
Closed – Implemented
VA issued a circular.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should require VA medical facilities to include the Agent Orange examination program in the facilities' systematic internal review process. |
Closed – Implemented
VA included the Agent Orange Program in the Systematic External Review Program.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should develop and analyze statistics on the kinds of skin problems, tumors, and birth defects identified in Agent Orange examinations and make this information available to veterans. |
Closed – Not Implemented
VA did not concur with this recommendation and stated that any statistics that could be developed would be skewed due to the self-selected population.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should emphasize to VA medical facilities the importance of sending tissue samples taken from veterans who served in Vietnam to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. |
Closed – Implemented
Implementing circular reissued.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should develop a monograph on Agent Orange's potential for causing birth defects. |
Closed – Implemented
VA issued a monograph in October 1985.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should direct VA medical facilities to provide available information to veterans concerned about birth defects or to refer veterans to genetic counseling services for such information. |
Closed – Implemented
VA advised physicians to refer veterans to genetic counseling services.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should direct VA medical facilities to followup with all veterans examined before January 1981 to ensure that they have been provided their examination results. |
Closed – Not Implemented
VA did not concur with this recommendation and stated that it is currently using a health status questionnaire to followup on veterans who have had Agent Orange examinations.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should direct all VA medical facilities to offer to send the Agent Orange pamphlet to all telephone callers interested in information about Agent Orange and advise callers when and where they can see the Agent Orange film. |
Closed – Implemented
VA emphasized this during conference calls, Chief Medical Director's letter, and new pamphlets issued.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should use public service announcements to advise veterans of VA Agent Orange services. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Although VA agreed with this recommendation, it has not implemented it and discussions with the staff in the VA Consumer Affairs Service indicated it has no plans to implement this recommendation.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Medical Director, should work with state veterans' affairs offices to advise veterans of available VA Agent Orange services. |
Closed – Implemented
VA is working with state veterans' affairs offices in distributing information and literature on Agent Orange services.
|
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CarcinogensChemical warfareHealth care servicesHealth research programsHealth surveysHerbicidesMedical examinationsMedical recordsVeterans disability compensationVeterans hospitals