VA Blue Water Claims Update 11: The VA has added the below named ships to the alre

[Ed Palmer]

VA Blue Water Claims Update 11: The VA has added the below named ships to the already existing list noted in Update 10 for Navy and Coast Guard ships and vessels that are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. If you served on any of these mentioned ships and you have had a claim denied, you should reapply citing the VA list as the source for your reapplication. NAUS advises that the VA is already working on a third list that will have more ships listed. If you have a claim and evidence the ship you served on was in Vietnamese waters and/or actually tied up to a dock there, make sure you include that with your claim.

Vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways
All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB [patrol boat] and WHEC [high endurance cutters]
USS Mark (AKL-12) [light cargo ship]; USS Brule (AKL-28)
USS Patapsco (AOG-1) [gasoline tanker]; USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
USS Genesee (AOG-8); USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9)
USS Tombigbee (AOG-11); USS Noxubee (AOG-56)
USS Okanogan (APA-210) [attack transport]; USS Montrose (APA-212)
USS Bexar (APA-237)
USS Benewah (APB-35) [self-propelled barracks ship]; USS Colleton (APB-36)
USS Mercer (APB-39); USS Nueces (APB-40)
Barracks Barge (APL-26) [sleeping quarters] ); Barracks Barge (APL-30)
USS Tutuila (ARG-4) [repair ship]; USS Satyr (ARL-23) [repair ship]
USS Sphinx (ARL-24); USS Askari (ARL-30); USS Indra (ARL-37)
USS Krishna (ARL-38)
USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) [landing ship dock]; USS Comstock (LSD-19)
USS Tortuga (LSD-26)
USS Asheville (PG-84) [patrol gunboat]; USS Gallop (PG-85)
USS Antelope (PG-86); USS Ready (PG-87); USS Crockett (PG-88)
USS Marathon (PG-89); USS Canon (PG-90)
Floating Base Platform (YRBM-17) [repair, berthing, and messing barge]
Floating Base Platform (YRBM-18); Floating Base Platform (YRBM-20)
Winnemucca (YTB-785) [harbor tug]

Vessels that operated temporarily on Vietnam's inland waterways or docked to the shore:
USS Card (ACV-11) [escort carrier] mined, sunk, and salvaged in Saigon River Harbor during May 1964
USS Maury (AGS-16) [mapping survey ship] conducted surveys of Mekong Delta and other coastal areas and rivers beginning November 1965 through 1969
USS Henrico (APA-45) [amphibious attack transport] operated on Hue River during March 1965 and conducted numerous troop landings through March 1967
USS Montrose (APA-212) operated on Song Hue River during December 1965, operated on Long Tau River during March 1967, and operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during May 1967
USS Talladega (APA-208) operated on Saigon River during October 1967
USS Bolster (ARS-38) [salvage ship] crew operated on land.
USS Canberra (CAG-2) [guided missile cruiser] operated on Saigon River from March 31 through April 1, 1966, on Cua Viet River during December 15, 1966, and on Mekong Delta Ham Luong River during January 15, 1967
USS Sproston (DD-577) [destroyer] operated on Mekong Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during January 1966
USS Picking (DD-685) operated on Saigon River during November 16, 1965
USS Epperson (DD-719) docked to Da Nang Pier on October 4, 1970
USS Southerland (DD-743) operated on Song Nga Bay and Saigon River during July 1966
USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated on Nga Be River during 1969
USS Buck (DD-761) operated on Mekong River Delta and Saigon River during October 1966
USS Preston (DD-795) operated on Mekong River Delta, Ganh Rai Bay, and Saigon River during September 28 - 29 and December 27 - 29, 1965
USS Warrington (DD-843) operated on Mekong River Delta Rung Sat Special Zone, North of Vung Gahn Rai Bay during March 1967
USS Dyess (DD-880) operated on Saigon River and Rung Sat Special Zone from June 19-July 1, 1966
USS Perkins (DD-877) operated on Saigon River during June 1969
USS Orleck (DD-886) operated on Mekong River Delta during July 1969
USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16) [guided missile destroyer] operated on Mekong River Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during November 7 and December 7,1968
USS Waddell (DDG-24) operated on Cua Viet River during March 1967
USS Newell (DER-322) [radar destroyer escort] docked at port of Nha Trang during December 22-24, 1965
USS Duluth (LPD-6) [amphibious transport dock] docked to pier at Da Nang during March and October 1971
USS Cleveland (LPD-7) operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha, as well as Hue River, from November 1967 through 1968 and Saigon River during September 1969
USS Dubuque (LPD-8) docked at Da Nang on March 15, 1970
USS Boxer (LPH-4) [amphibious assault ship] docked to pier at Cam Rahn Bay on September 9, 1965
USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) [landing ship dock] operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during December 1967
[Source: NAUS Weekly update 25 Jun 2010 ++]

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[Ed Palmer]

VA Copay Update 11: Effective 1 JAN 2010

Outpatient Services - The following Copay amounts are limited to a single charge per visit regardless of the number of health care providers seen in a single day. The copay amount is based on the highest level of service received. There is no copay requirement for preventive care services such as screenings and immunizations:
Basic Care Services provided by a primary care clinician $15 / visit
Specialty Care Services provided by a clinical specialist such as surgeon, radiologist, audiologist, optometrist, cardiologist, and specialty tests such as magnetic resonance imagery (MRI), computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, and nuclear medicine studies $50 / visit.

Medications
Veterans in Priority Group 1 do not pay for medications
Veterans in Priority Groups 2-6, for each 30-day or less supply of medication for treatment of nonservice-connected condition $8 (Veterans in Priority Groups 2 through 6 are limited to $960 annual cap)
Effective July 1, 2010 Veterans in Priority Groups 7-8, for each 30-day or less supply of $9 medication for treatment of nonservice-connected condition (Veterans in Priority Groups 7-8 do not qualify for medication copay annual cap)

Inpatient Services - Based on geographically-based means testing, lower income veterans who live in high-cost areas may qualify for a reduction of 80% of inpatient copay charges. Charges applicable to all priority groups:
Inpatient Copay for first 90 days of care during a 365-day period $1,100
Inpatient Copay for each additional 90 days of care during a 365-day period $550
Per Diem Charge $10 / day

Long-Term Care - Copays for Long-Term Care services start on the 22nd day of care during any 12-month period-there is no copay requirement for the first 21 days. Actual copay charges will vary from veteran to veteran depending upon financial information submitted on VA Form 10-10EC. Charges applicable to all priority groups:
Nursing Home Care/Inpatient Respite Care/Geriatric Evaluation maximum of $97/day
Adult Day Health Care/Outpatient Geriatric Evaluation Outpatient Respite Care maximum of $15/day
Domiciliary Care maximum of $5 / day
[Source: VA Fact Sheet 16-1 dtd Jun 2010 ++]

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