Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rare Respiratory Cancers Added To VA's List Of Illnesses Linked To Burn Pits
Stars And Stripes: VA Adds 9 Respiratory Cancers To List Of Illnesses Caused By Burn Pits
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it created a fast-track to disability compensation for veterans who developed one of nine rare respiratory cancers because of their exposure to toxic burn pits during overseas deployments. The cancers were added to the department’s presumptive list, which lowers the amount of evidence that veterans must provide to receive VA benefits. The cancers to be added to the list are squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, adenocarcinoma of the trachea, adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung, large cell carcinoma of the lung, salivary gland-type tumors of the lung, sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung, and typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung. (Wentling, 4/25)
CNN: Biden Administration Adds Nine Rare Respiratory Cancers With Ties To Burn Pits To List Of Service-Connected Disabilities
The move marks a significant step in the administration's efforts to expand benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, an issue that is quite personal for the President. Biden has long speculated that burn pits may have caused the brain cancer that killed his late son Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran, while also noting he's been unable to prove it. Beau Biden died in 2015 after a battle with glioblastoma, which is not included in this new list from the veterans agency. The Department of Veterans Affairs said the determination was made following a review that found "biological plausibility between airborne hazards and carcinogenesis of the respiratory tract -- and the unique circumstances of these rare cancers warrant a presumption of service connection." (Saenz, 4/25)
Military Times: Nine Respiratory Cancers Added To List Of Illnesses Presumed Caused By Burn Pit Smoke
In a statement, VA Secretary Denis McDonough called the move overdue. “Veterans who suffer from rare respiratory cancers associated with their service deserve the very best America has to offer, but they’ve had to wait for the care and benefits they deserve for far too long,” he said. “That ends now. “With these new presumptives, veterans who suffer from these rare respiratory cancers will finally get the world-class care and benefits they deserve, without having to prove causality between their service and their condition.” (Shane III, 4/25)
In other military health news —
Stars And Stripes: Tricare’s Autism Awareness Facebook Post Draws Ire From Parents Of Autistic Kids
Cassandra Wheeler said she felt an upswell of anger when she saw a recent social media post by Tricare, the military’s health care provider, in support of Autism Acceptance Month. Tricare called for “inclusivity” and “tolerance” for autistic children through “patience, understanding, and education,” according to the April 8 post on the provider’s official Facebook page. As of Friday, it had received about 800 mostly critical comments, and was shared about 400 times. Wheeler, 34, the wife of a medically retired Army veteran and the mother of two autistic children, said Tricare gutted the care it provides for the autistic children of military families last year. (Burke, 4/25)
Military.Com: The Navy Is Deputizing Doctors To Enforce Drug Rules Even For Those Seeking Mental Health Help
In the wake of reports that a Navy psychologist played an active role in convicting for drug use a sailor who had reached out for mental health assistance, the service is standing by its policy, which does not provide patients with confidentiality and could mean that seeking help has consequences for service members. (Toropin, 4/18)
The New York Times: The Unseen Scars Of Those Who Kill Via Remote Control
Drones were billed as a better way to wage war — a tool that could kill with precision from thousands of miles away, keep American service members safe and often get them home in time for dinner. The drone program started in 2001 as a small, tightly controlled operation hunting high-level terrorist targets. But during the past decade, as the battle against the Islamic State intensified and the Afghanistan war dragged on, the fleet grew larger, the targets more numerous and more commonplace. Over time, the rules meant to protect civilians broke down, recent investigations by The New York Times have shown, and the number of innocent people killed in America’s air wars grew to be far larger than the Pentagon would publicly admit. Captain Larson’s story, woven together with those of other drone crew members, reveals an unseen toll on the other end of those remote-controlled strikes. (Philipps, 4/15)
