Official Legal Publication serving Lincoln County and the Towns of Arriba, Genoa, Hugo, Karval and Limon
By Joy Johnson
In November, 2024 Veterans Affairs (VA) added new burn pit presumptive conditions. VA defines a presumptive condition as “some conditions, we automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition.”
The added presumptive conditions are Urethral Cancer, Para Urethral Cancer, Acute and Chronic Leukemias, Multiple Myelomas, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Myelofibrosis, Urinary Bladder Cancer and Related Genitourinary Cancers.
This month, VA fired over 2,400 employees across the country. Some of these employees are veterans. Some employees have been fired, rehired, fired and rehired again. This will most likely lead to longer wait times on hold and longer processing times for claims.
This is a time of chaos and upheaval. There is no prediction of what is yet to come. VA was already short staffed when workers quit en mass a couple years ago.
If you would like to place a claim for disability, pension or pre-need burial eligibility, don’t let this information scare you off.
If you have questions about your veteran benefits, feel free to reach out to me, Lincoln and Washington Counties Veterans Service Officer, at 719 892 4800, vso@lincolncountyco.us or vso@co.washington.co.us.
