The Department of Veterans Affairs will test a military exposure model designed to reduce burdens on veterans potentially exposed to environmental hazards.
VA said Thursday it will pilot the new model to determine the association between veterans’ medical conditions and environmental hazards.
The model will build on VA claims data, military environmental research, veterans’ health outcomes and scientific input from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
The pilot will initially focus on constrictive bronchiolitis and respiratory cancers. VA will run the pilot from Nov. 15 this year to April 1, 2022, and expects to produce answers by the middle of next year.
The agency has been helping veterans exposed to chemicals including Agent Orange over the past half-year.