Health Registries and You!

Did you know the Veterans Administration has several health registries set up for Veterans?

VA’s health registry evaluation is a free, voluntary medical assessment for Veterans who may have been exposed to certain environmental hazards during military service.

Okay, but why are they important and what is in it for me? The registry data helps VA understand and respond to these health problems more effectively and can help alert Veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to exposure to specific environmental hazards during their military service.

Which leads us to the creation of "Presumptives". If you are registered on the Agent Orange Registry, and develop Diabetes, or Parkinson's disease for example, you can file a claim for compensation. Due to the data compiled from medical records of Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, the VA knows a direct correlation between AO exposure and Diabetes. That is why it is so important to join the free registry. The more Veterans enrolled means the more data and the likelihood when a pattern is shown, a disease will become a presumptive.

You may be eligible to participate in one or more of these health registries:

• Agent Orange Registry

• Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry

• Gulf War Registry (includes Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn)

• Ionizing Radiation Registry

• Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program

• Toxic Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center

Note: The registry evaluation is separate from VA’s disability compensation process and does not confirm exposure during service. Veterans who want to be considered for disability compensation for health problems related to Agent Orange exposure must file a claim for that benefit. During the claims process, VA will check military records to confirm exposure to Agent Orange or qualifying military service. If necessary, VA will set up a separate exam for compensation.

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