After historic expansion of VA health care, San Antonio VA to host PACT Act Claims Clinic and VA Resource Event for Veterans and their Families

Veterans, their families, and survivors are invited to a VA health care enrollment event about  PACT Act and encourage them to apply for the health care and benefits they have earned.

South Texas Veterans Health Care System is hosting the event on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tomas Valle American Legion Post 479 located at 583 W. Main Street, Uvalde, Texas 78801.  

The event comes after VA announced that all Veterans who were exposed to toxins or other hazards while serving in the military – at home or abroad – became 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.  

This expansion of care covers Vietnam Veterans, Gulf War Veterans, Iraq War Veterans, Afghanistan War Veterans, Veterans who deployed in support of contingency operations for the Global War on Terror (Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve, and Resolute Support Mission), and more.

This expansion also covers many Veterans who never deployed as a part of a conflict but were exposed to toxins or hazards while serving in the U.S. Specifically, under this expansion of care, any Veteran who participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) – at home or abroad – is eligible for VA health care. VA has determined that Veterans who were exposed to one or more of the following hazards or conditions during active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training participated in a TERA: air pollutants (burn pits, sand, dust, particulates, oil well fires, sulfur fires); chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, depleted uranium with embedded shrapnel, contaminated water); occupational hazards (asbestos, industrial solvents, lead, paints including chemical agent resistant coating, firefighting foams); radiation (nuclear weapons handling, maintenance and detonation, radioactive material, calibration and measurement sources, X-rays, radiation from military occupational exposure); warfare agents (nerve agents, chemical and biological weapons); and more. VA will use all available information to determine if Veterans participated in a TERA, including military records and service connection.

VA is executing a nationwide campaign to ensure that as many Veterans as possible enroll.   Informational booths and staff for Enrollment/Eligibility, Women’s Health Program, Office of Community Care, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Caregiver Support, Veterans Transportation Program, Home-Based Primary Care, Office of Patient Advocacy and San Antonio Vet Center will be available.  

For more information about how the PACT Act is helping Veterans and their survivors, visit VA’s PACT Act Dashboard. To apply for care or benefits today, visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411. More information on eligibility can be found at VA.gov/PACT.

Keona Raynor, Public Affairs Intern