RISON - Cleveland County Veterans Services officer Greg Herron encouraged local veterans who may have been exposed to toxins during their service to now the Veterans Administration (VA) has made it easier to get healthcare related to that exporuse.The VA recently announced that all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military - at home or abroad - will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care beginning March 5, 2024.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.As directed by President Biden, this expansion of VA health care eliminates the phased-in approach called for by the PACT Act - meaning that millions of veterans are becoming eligible for VA health care up to eight years earlier than written into law. This is a critical step forward because veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings. Additionally, VA health care is often more affordable than non-VA health care for veterans. 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. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law on August 10, 2022, more than 500,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care."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 ...
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