The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that all veterans who were exposed to toxins or other hazards while in the military, at home or abroad, will receive direct access to VA health benefits starting March 5, 2024, years earlier than expected. announced that they were eligible to register.
“All veterans who were exposed to toxins or other hazards while serving our country at home or abroad will now be able to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.” VA said Terry Tanillian, special assistant to the president for issues. He said.
Exposure to toxic substances spans decades.
“Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or other combat areas after 9/11.”th You are now eligible to register. It also means any veteran deployed in support of the global war on terror is eligible to register,” Tanillian said.
The expansion also targets many veterans who have not been deployed as part of a conflict but have been exposed to toxins and hazardous materials in the United States.
The list of toxins to which some veterans have been exposed is extensive, Tanillian said.
“We know that many people who were exposed in Vietnam and Thailand and other places were exposed to Agent Orange. We know that veterans were exposed to burn scars that were burned and caused respiratory illnesses for many in the community, but that veterans were exposed to as well as other pesticides. There could also be other toxins, like asbestos,” Tanillian said.
The PACT Act was signed into law in 2022.
The law made eligible veterans exposed to toxic substances in a phased approach, but the Veterans Administration's Feb. 26 announcement accelerates that process.
VA representatives said they are running a nationwide campaign to get as many veterans registered as possible.
