Elder Law Journal article chronicles fate of “atomic veterans”
Veterans suffering from cancers linked to exposure to radiation from atomic test explosions encounter a complex and error-ridden process that routinely denies them disability benefits, a University of Illinois scholar says.Soldiers, aviators and sailors who took part in U.S. nuclear tests between 1946 and 1962 or were exposed to radiation during the occupation of Japan after World War II must do battle with “a system that is not working,” Melinda F. Podgor writes in the Elder Law Journal published by the U. of I. College of Law.“The Department of Veterans Affairs’ disability compensation system prevents the vast majority of atomic veterans from obtaining benefits for their radiation-induced diseases. As a result, many atomic veterans are unable to receive necessary medical treatment or to provide for their basis needs,”
Podgor, an editor at the journal, writes “The VA’s system is so backlogged with claims that sick elderly veterans sometimes must wait for years for their cases to be decided. At the same time, the medical uncertainties about the relationship between radiation exposure and various cancers make it nearly impossible for veterans to establish disability claims under the current laws.“As of October 2004, roughly 18,275 atomic veterans applied for disability compensation, but only 1,875 of these claims were granted,” Podgor wrote. “Thus, nearly 90 percent of atomic veterans have been denied disability compensation.”The question of how to compensate atomic veterans has persisted for more than 20 years. The number of veterans has dwindled as the debate continues.