Senate Approves Blue Water Navy
Bill
By:
Amanda Dolasinski, Staff writer
In a historic vote by unanimous
consent on Wednesday, Senate lawmakers approved legislation to grant benefits
for Agent Orange exposure to Navy veterans who served in the waters off Vietnam
– culminating a decades-long fight for the thousands of veterans who have been
denied claims of presumptive exposure. The bill passed without opposition.
“This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s veterans,” said MOAA President
and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret). “After years of waiting, Blue
Water Navy veterans and their survivors will finally see the benefits they
deserve without fear of those benefits being taken away.”
Last month, the legislation passed the House 410-0.
An estimated 900,000 veterans have
been exposed to Agent Orange. This legislation will extend those disability
benefits to about 90,000 veterans.
This bipartisan legislation extends benefits to servicemembers who served in
the territorial waters off the coast of Vietnam and were exposed to Agent
Orange, which is connected to a variety of cancers and other long-term illness.
A January court ruling will require
the VA to provide health care to Blue Water Navy veterans, but H.R. 299 would
codify that care while also assisting other groups: The bill provides relief to
veterans exposed to Agent Orange on the Korean DMZ, and it also expands benefits
to the children of veterans who served in Thailand and suffer from spina
bifida.
Your Guide to Developing an Estate
Plan
By: Col. Brian D. Anderson, USAF (Ret.),
Senior Director, Career Transition &
Member Services
Everyone should have at least a
basic estate plan drafted by a skilled estate-planning attorney. A coherent
estate plan helps to ensure orderly distribution of your assets, protects minor
children, plans for potential incapacity, and avoids unnecessary — and costly —
probate fees and estate taxes.
Once in place, the plan should be reviewed periodically (at least every five
years) or anytime a major life event occurs, including marriage, divorce, or
remarriage; birth or adoption of a child; substantial change in financial
assets; moving to a new state or overseas; and retirement.
For MOAA Premium and Life Members,
benefits and financial counseling with MOAA staff experts complement the
process of reading our publication
and understanding the key components of financial planning. Also, the surviving
spouses of deceased MOAA Life and Premium members become MOAA members in their
own right upon their spouse's passing, making them eligible for all MOAA member
benefits, including financial counseling.