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ARMED FORCES NEWS |
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| President Bush has proposed legislation that would improve benefits for short-term former POWs. "What we're proposing is to eliminate the current requirement in federal law that a former POW must be detained for at least 30 days in order to qualify for full POW benefits," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. The VA currently presumes that certain medical conditions in former POWs who were held at least 30 days are related to their captivity. Using this presumption, such veterans may obtain financial benefits without providing evidence directly linking a medical problem to captivity. "That may have made sense years ago for some conditions linked to nutritional deficiencies, but even a few days enduring terror at the hands of enemy captors may lead to other conditions," Principi said. The VA proposal also would improve dental care eligibility and exempt former POWs from copayments for medications for non-service connected conditions. | |
