This post is more of a request for opinions/information.  My DH registered for the AO newsletters many years ago and later had an AO Registry Exam.  It was a speedy and routine physical exam; it was free but not comprehensive as advertised today.

This comprehensive health exam includes an exposure history, medical history, physical exam, and any tests if needed. A VA health professional will discuss the results face-to-face with the Veteran and in a follow-up letter.

They didn’t find any AO-related problems.  (We found out years later that he has DM II but it didn’t show up in his labs then.)

Have AO physical exams changed over the years?  When did the VA begin to test for HCV during AO Registry Exams?  In a post on AskNod, one veteran says that he was tested for HCV in 2010;  he was positive.   Does the VA test for other diseases not-related to AO exposure? If so, I find this curious.

Does anyone regret having submitted to the AO Registry Exam?  Have AO Registry Exam results ever been used against a veteran in a later claim for benefits?

What are the pros and cons of these exams?  Are they a good idea or a potential trap?