'Apply as soon as possible': VA healthcare expansion begins
Changes to veterans’ health benefits started Tuesday for U.S. military veterans and their family members.
On Feb. 26, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said they were accelerating access to government healthcare for veterans exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving overseas.
Any veteran enrolled in VA health care is now eligible for screening to determine if they were exposed to toxins while serving.
Dr. Shereef Elnahal, VA under secretary for health, said it is the biggest expansion of VA care eligibility in generations.
“We want you to apply as soon as possible,” Elnahala said.
The expansion is covered by the PACT Act, which aims to expand benefits for service members exposed to burn pits, radiation, Agent Orange, a tactical herbicide used by the U.S. military for control of vegetation, and other toxic substances while serving.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America CEO Allison Jaslow, an Iraq War veteran, says the benefits are crucial to her generation of veterans when burning trash and other waste in burn pits was a common practice.
“In real-time, we didn’t know what kind of impact that would have,” she said. “I will say that most of us were thinking – not necessarily cancer – but like what is this doing to [us]..if we are breathing it in every, single day.”
When the Honoring our PACT Act passed in 2022, a phased-in approach was planned until full implementation in 2032.
Jaslow said getting more veterans into the VA system for proactive screening and specialized care could save lives.
“Maybe your doctor, out in the civilian sector, doesn’t know to ask if you were even in the military, let alone exposed to toxins,” she explained. “Being in the care of VA practitioners is, really, a good thing for all generations of veterans.”
Screened veterans who apply will get information about benefits, exams and treatment resources they may need.
In Fayetteville, the local VA system says there are several ways to apply without leaving your home.
"They can call, first of all," said Chief of Public Affairs with the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care Center Gigail Cureton. "In addition to calling, for many of our Veterans. They can go online at va.gov. So, they'll have that opportunity to log in and sign up at va.gov."
The number to call to apply is 877-222-8387. The toll-free hotline is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Veterans can also mail in their enrollment or you can visit a VA Center and apply in person.
The VA said not everyone is going to qualify for benefits, but those who think they have been exposed to toxins should take the opportunity to have their case heard.
