On March 5, 2024, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opened enrollment in VA health care to all veterans exposed to toxic substances and other hazards during their military service – at home or overseas.

This decision makes it quicker and easier for veterans to enroll.

This expansion of VA health care eliminates the phased-in approach required for in the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

This means that millions of veterans are becoming eligible for VA health care up to eight (8) years earlier than written into law.

Now, veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf Wars, 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.

Many veterans erroneously believed they must apply to receive VA disability compensation benefits to become eligible for VA health care.

The PACT Act also stated that veterans who never deployed overseas but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll for VA’s health care.

Some veterans never deploy overseas but still may have been exposed to toxic materials and substances. This is known as Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA). The PACT Act expansion will allow the VA to review service records and documents to determine eligibility based upon TERA.

Veterans enrolling for the first time will get a screening for hazardous and toxic materials by primary care physicians. Specialty care is available but will require a referral and will only be available when needed.

The evaluation will also determine whether or not veterans should receive a referral to the Veterans Benefits Administration to receive more benefits.

“We can also care for Veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty here at home,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, “by working with chemicals, pesticides, lead, asbestos, certain paints, nuclear weapons, x-rays, and more.

Since signed into law on August 10, 2022, more than 500,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care.

On April 26, 2024, the VA announced that it had enrolled 401,006 veterans into VA health care over the past 365 days. This is a thirty (30) percent increase from the 307,831 it enrolled the previous year.

This is the highest number of enrollees in a single year in at least the five (5) years at the VA and a nearly fifty (50%) percent increase over pandemic-level enrollment in 2020.

From August 10, 2022, to April 20, 2024, the VA has approved 931,171 PACT Act Disability Compensation Claims. From the same period, the VA has completed 1,240,383 Cumulative Total PACT Act-Related Claims, with an approval rate of over seventy-five (75.1%) percent.

In addition, the VA has conducted 5,424,783 Total Toxic Exposure Screenings from September 6, 2022 to April 21, 2024. During this period, 2,401,244 veterans have reported at least one (1) Potential Toxic Exposure and 484,944 veterans have reported more than one (1) Potential Toxic Exposure.

According to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, “veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled veterans. VA Hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings.”

The VA encourages all eligible veterans to visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411 to learn more any apply for VA health care and benefits.

“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 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.”

My Opinion: I was glad when Congress and the President signed and enacted the PACT Act into law on August 10, 2022.

This Act added twenty-three (23) medical issues as “presumptive conditions,” expanded care for post-9/11 ear veterans and expanded options for those to toxins in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and military bases, such as Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

However, I was shocked to discover that the PACT Act was meant to be phased in over time until 2032!

How many veterans would pass away in the next ten (10) years (in 2032) while waiting for their earned disability compensation benefits to come to them or their survivors?

Has everyone forgotten the length of the battle veterans fought in getting the VA to acknowledge and deliver medical benefits for Exposure to Agent Orange?

I am truly glad that the VA accelerated enrollment of the PACT Act and accomplished this on March 5, 2024. Now, it is our responsibility, as veterans, to have our fellow comrades enroll in the VA’s health care program and be screened to exposure to toxic substances.

BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran, who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the current Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio’s Hospital Chairman and DAV Chapter #63 (Clermont County) Adjutant. He is at: plahovinsak@msn.com.

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