Of those, 756,620 have received an agent orange health registry exam as of July of last year (Department of Veteran's Affairs, 2017). However, these exams don’t necessarily reflect the amount of agent orange related compensation claims there have been. These exams are purely informational, and do not imply a compensation claim. During a typical agent orange registry exam, a veteran would receive a health exam, a physical exam, and possibly laboratory tests. The doctor will go over exposure and medical history in relation to the veteran’s medical conditions (Department of Veteran's Affairs, 2017). Without the consistent development of the Agent Orange Act, some of these veterans may not have gotten the compensation they deserve, and would have suffered had they been left unable to work. The Agent Orange Act is incredibly important, especially due to the promotion of constant research and expansion of presumed diseases when a strong relationship between a condition and exposure is …show more content…
In October of 1984, Public Law 98-542, also called the Veteran’s Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act. This was the first legislation to establish regulations regarding herbicide exposure, presumptive conditions, and compensation. The act only included chloracne and porphyria tarda that manifested within one year of departure from Vietnam as being eligible for compensation. Chloracne is the most common sign of dioxin poisoning, and causes whiteheads, blackheads, nodeules, and cysts (Oakley, 2014). Chloracne is likely the condition with the quickest onset after time of exposure. In addition, compensation was based on degree of disability for veterans, and based on veteran’s rank in service for eligible dependents (Summary of P.L. 98-542, Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act, October 24, 1984, n.d.). The act also instructed the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish guidelines and continue to explore possible presumptive conditions and