Kootenai County, Idaho

Presumptive Conditions for VA Claims

Did you serve in the military on active status for at least 90 days and now suffer from ALS or has someone you know served in the military and died from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)?

Did you serve in Vietnam (boots on ground)?

Did you serve in Korea from 1968-1969 on the DMZ?

*To ensure a fair, consistent and accurate review of disability ratings for medically separated Wounded Warriors, there is now the PHYSICAL DISABILITY BOARD OF REVIEW (PDBR). Please click here for details of the program.

Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions

Prostate Cancer

Respiratory Cancer (cancers of the lung, bronchus, larynx, or trachea)

Chronic Lymphocytic leukemia

AL amyloidosis

Hodgkins' Disease

Chloracne

Multiple Meyeloma

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (see list of associated terms below)

Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy

Porphtria Cutanea Tarda

Soft Tissue Sarcomas (see list below)

Diabetes Type II

Ischemic Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease)

Hairy Cell Leukemia

Parkinson's Disease

Disabilities in the children of a herbicide exposed veteran (see list below)

Types of Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Adult Fibrosarcoma

Alveolar soft part sarcoma

Angiosarcoma

Clear cell sarcoma of aponeuroses

Clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses

Congenital fibrosarcoma

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Ectomesenchymoma

Epithelioid malignant leiomyosarcoma

Epithelioid and glandular malignant schwannomas

Epithelioid sarcoma

Extraskeletal ewing's sarcoma

Hemangiosarcoma

Infantile fibrosarcoma

Leiomyosarcoma

Liposarcoma

Lymphangiosarcoma

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma

Malignant giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath

Malignant glandular schwannoma

Malignant glomus tumor

Malignant hemangiopericytoma

Malignant mesenchymoma

Malignant ganglioneuroma

Malignant granular cell tumor

Malignant leiomyoblastoma

Malignant synovioma

Malignant schwannoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation

Proliferating (systemic) angiendotheliomatosis

Rhabdomyosarcoma

Synovial sarcoma

Disabilities in the Children of Herbicide Exposed Veterans

Spina Bifida except Spina Bifida Occulta

Certain birth defects in the children of female Vietnam veterans--example:

Cleft lip and cleft palate

Congenital heart disease

Congenital talipes equinovarus (club foot)

Esophageal and intestinal atresia

Hallerman-Streiff syndrome

Hip dysplasia

Hirschprung's disease (congenital megacolon)

Hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis

Hypospadias

Imperforate anus

Neural tube defects (including spina bifida, encephalocele and anencecphaly)

Poland syndrome

Pyloric stenosis

Syndactyly (fused digets)

Tracheoesophageal fistula

Undescended testicle

Williams syndrome

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Presumptive Condition

The secretary of Veterans Affairs added amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease, to the list of presumptive conditions. Unlike other presumptive conditions, service connection for ALS does not require specific exposure to biohazards or confinement as a prisoner of war.

Service connection for ALS requires at least 90 days of military service, and there is no time limit on onset of the disease. Basically anyone who served in any branch of the service and has a diagnosis of ALS is eligible for medical and compensation benefits from the VA.

Because of this ruling, veterans who have died from ALS have a service-connected death, and there are benefits for eligible dependents. Even if the veteran passed away years ago, the surviving spouse can file a claim for service-connected death. The Kootenai County Veteran Services Office will assist veterans and their families with these claims.