ORLANDO, Fla. – Starting March 5, all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards during their military service will be eligible to enroll in VA health care, regardless of whether they served at home or abroad.
This means that all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits. Additionally, veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll.
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Prior to this, many of these veterans were going to get coverage under the PACT Act, but it was going to be a phased-in approach. But on a Veterans Day address, President Joe Biden said although a half million veterans and their families had already received care under the PACT Act, it wasn’t enough.
“So the PACT Act is a really important law that was signed in August of ‘22 that expanded care and benefits to veterans exposed to toxins like burn pits, Agent Orange, and more. And originally, that law called for new veterans being qualified for health care every two years, despite whether they could connect a condition that they have with an injury and exposure during their service. And so instead of having new cohorts of veterans qualify every two years, leading up to 2032, the President has decided to make all of those veterans qualified. On Tuesday, March 5, that includes any Gulf War, or post-9/11 veteran, and missions like Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn and more. It also means any veteran exposed to any toxin, including nuclear materials, air pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, you name it, even if those veterans weren’t deployed at all. And so many new veterans, millions more veterans can qualify for VA health care starting on March 5,” said Shereef Elnahal, MD, Under Secretary for Health, Department of Veterans Affairs.
If you’re a Vietnam-era or Camp Lejuene veteran, coverage also extends to you.
“The good news is any Vietnam veteran who was deployed has qualified for VA health care since the fall of 2022. So those veterans are already covered. If they’re not in VA health care yet, they should go online as soon as today and enroll,” said Elnahal. “On top of that, as of Tuesday, March 5, any veteran who was stationed at Camp Lejeune during the applicable periods when the contaminated water was affecting the Marines and other service members stationed there will automatically qualify for VA health care just because of that exposure, even if they don’t have a specific condition that we’ve identified as related to that exposure. And so we’re really excited about this healthcare expansion.”
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“It matters to the vet from Utah. After flying mission after mission over burn pits in Iraq, after being diagnosed with cancer at just 23 years of age, is finally receiving full coverage for his treatment. It matters. It matters to the vet from Florida who has been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, after applying and being rejected for benefits four times, finally, as he wrote to me in a letter, quote, ‘[is] able to get by a little easier now.,’” said President Joe Biden.
This expansion means that millions of veterans are becoming eligible for VA health care up to eight years earlier than written into law.
“If you’re a veteran who may have been exposed to toxins or hazards while serving our country, at home or abroad, we want you to come to us for the health care you deserve,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “VA is proven to be the best, most affordable health care in America for Veterans – and once you’re in, you have access for life.”
Specifically, under this expansion of care, any veteran who participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) – at home or abroad – is eligible for VA health care. VA has determined that veterans who were exposed to one or more of the following hazards or conditions during active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training participated in a TERA: air pollutants (burn pits, sand, dust, particulates, oil well fires, sulfur fires); chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, depleted uranium with embedded shrapnel, contaminated water); occupational hazards (asbestos, industrial solvents, lead, paints including chemical agent resistant coating, firefighting foams); radiation (nuclear weapons handling, maintenance and detonation, radioactive material, calibration and measurement sources, X-rays, radiation from military occupational exposure); warfare agents (nerve agents, chemical and biological weapons); and more. VA will use all available information to determine if Veterans participated in a TERA, including military records and service connection.
In addition to expanding access to VA care, this decision makes it quicker and easier for millions of veterans to enroll. Many veterans believe they must apply to receive VA disability compensation benefits to become eligible for VA health care, but this is not correct. With this expansion and other authorities, millions of eligible veterans can enroll directly in VA care – without any need to first apply for VA benefits. Elnahal said the VA will help you and work with you to get any supporting documentation you may need or be able to confirm your eligibility without too much hassle for you.
“We’re going to do everything we can to get the information we need.,” said Elnahal. “If we need documents from you, we will ask you, and the average turnaround time for healthcare enrollment applications is between three to five days. So we’re really talking about a quick turnaround. All you have to do is go to our website.”
So what do you get if you enroll in VA health care?
“Veterans qualify for really any type of health care once they’re enrolled at VA: primary care, mental health care, specialty care in the outpatient setting, emergency care, inpatient and acute care, but also end of life care, and many other types of health care that they now qualify for. And so just think about anything you might need when it comes to health care, VA essentially provides that,” said Elnahal.
News 6 asked Elnahal what expanding health care to millions more people will do for a system that often seems quite busy and overtaxed as it is.
“We knew that we were going to need many more employees to be able to meet more demand as we’ve expanded health care eligibility to the degree that we are. And so last year, we hired more than 61,000 health care workers into the system across the country that has a much greater and strength with really talented health care professionals who are waiting to see you. And so we’re confident that we’ll be able to see you in a timely way,” said Elnahal. “Or we can refer you into the community to a civilian hospital or clinic if we can’t provide a service in a given area. So whether it comes to our care or care that we pay for in the community, we’re really excited to expand access to you if you qualify.”
VA encourages all eligible veterans to visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411 to learn more and apply for VA health care beginning March 5.
The VA will also be holding a PACT Act event at the Lake Baldwin VA Clinic on Friday, March 8 from 2-5 p.m. to help veterans with claims, figure out eligibility, get screened for toxic exposures, and more. They are asking for interested veterans to register for planning purposes. You can scan the QR code below to do so or click here.