VA Continues to Fall Short for Veterans with Mesothelioma

Michael Johnson watched his father, retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran John Johnson, die prematurely almost three years ago from mesothelioma after the VA health care system misdiagnosed and mishandled his case more than once. His biggest point of contention — which ultimately cost his father's life — is that patients within the VA health care system have no way of knowing there is a mesothelioma specialty center that can provide the care they need and likely extend their lives. "It's mind-boggling the way the VA works," Johnson told Asbestos.com. "If my father had been diagnosed correctly, he'd still be here today. He believed in the VA, but it absolutely let him down." Despite the recent and much-chronicled change of leadership within the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, veterans with asbestos-related diseases and their families say the federal agency continues to mistreat them. Johnson and his family have made it their mission to help correct a glaring flaw in the system by reaching out to federal VA leaders and pledging financial support to specific cancer centers that treat veterans with mesothelioma. An estimated 3,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with mesothelioma, and approximately one-third of those are veterans, a disproportionate amount that stems from the military's extensive use of asbestos materials in the 20th century. His Father's Troubles with the VA John Johnson served in the Marine Corps in the early and mid-1960s, spending significant time in V...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Veterans & Military Source Type: news