In 1991, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act, directing the Veteran’s Administration (VA) to presume that specific disease could be tied to chemical exposure related to a soldier’s service in Vietnam.
 
Agent Orange Act of 1991 - Presumes the following diseases to be service-connected and resulting from exposure to dioxins and other herbicide agents during service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era unless there is affirmative evidence to the contrary: (1) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, each soft-tissue sarcoma (with certain exceptions), and chloracne or other consistent acneform diseases becoming manifest to a degree of disability of ten percent or more; and (2) those additional diseases that the Secretary determines warrant such a presumption by reason of having a positive association with a herbicide agent, if they become manifest within the appropriate period. 
 
Veterans who have been diagnosed with cutaneous lymphoma and have had their benefits challenged by the VA, may be asked to have their physician produce a nexus letter. A "nexus letter" is a document prepared for a claimant by a medical professional that explicitly connects an in-service event to the current medical condition for which a claimant is seeking compensation.
 
It’s recommended to have the nexus letter state that veteran has a “NON HODGKINS LYMPHOMA” rather than the specific diagnosis, for example mycosis fungoides. Claims with specific diagnosis have been denied as the term “mycosis fungoides” is not listed on the VA list of illness related to participation in the Vietnam War but Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma is.
 
Additionally, veterans need to show that they were deployed to Vietnam during the war.

For more information on veterans issues:

VAWatchdog.org - The primary goal of VAWatchdog is to educate veterans. It's our philosophy that a veteran should understand the reality of what he or she faces when dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other, similar agencies.

Camp Lejeune Water Contamination - Veterans who served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina, may have had contact with contaminants in the drinking water there. Scientific and medical evidence has shown an association between exposure to these contaminants during military service and development of certain diseases later on. If you have qualifying service at Camp Lejeune and a current diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, you may be able to get disability benefits.