CINCINNATI — The VA's door for health care is swinging wide open starting March 5 as part of an accelerated effort to provide services to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their time of military service.
“That includes any veteran deployed to the Gulf War, or any of the post 9/11 conflicts, including Iraq, Afghanistan, but also other areas in Central Command, as well as Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, and many of the other missions in the global war on terror,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, Department of Veterans Affairs.
Elnahal adds the exposure could be something very evident and known by the veteran, but in some cases, the exposure could be something the veteran wasn’t aware of at the time.
“Any veteran who was exposed to toxins, whether or not they were deployed, including at bases here in the United States and those toxins may include herbicides, pesticides, jet fuel, nuclear materials, burn pits, Agent Orange and more,” Elnahal said.
These exposures could be from daily operations, deployments and even training missions during a veteran’s service and will qualify them to enroll in VA health care.
The PACT Act signed into law in 2022 required the expansion to occur by 2032, but the VA decided they’re ready now to accept the enrollments after hiring more people to handle the claims.
According to information provided by the Veterans Health Administration, they plan to hire more than 50,000 new employees to meet the demand.
In a news release VA Secretary Denis McDonough said, “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.”
WCPO News Anchor Craig McKee asked Elnahal about veterans who say they were exposed to toxins, but have been denied in the past due to a lack of DOD evidence to prove exposure.
“If those veterans think they were exposed to a toxin, and they don't have health care access with the VA, they should apply for health care, as of Tuesday, March 5,” he said. “Any toxic exposed veteran as long as we can find a record of that exposure will qualify for VA health care.”
The PACT Act expanded healthcare for millions of veterans who served in Vietnam to current-day missions. Veterans do not have to have a service-connected disability to be able to file for healthcare.
The Cincinnati VA Medical Center and other veteran medical facilities are conducting toxic screenings which could indicate the possibility of qualifying for additional benefits.
“What I want every veteran to understand is that when it comes to health care eligibility, you no longer have to prove the connection between a condition you might have an injury or an exposure during your service, you just had to deploy to those areas of the world at those specific times,” Elnahal said. “Or you can tell us that you were exposed to a toxin at home or abroad and you don't necessarily have to have a condition that we think is associated with that exposure. All of that gets you access to health care for life.”
The VA encourages veterans to apply for care or benefits by visiting the VA.gov/PACT website or calling 1-800-MYVA411 for further information.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.
