{"id":75522,"date":"2024-02-01T17:52:21","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/02\/01\/va-eyes-more-medical-care-for-vets-with-toxic-exposure-issues\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:17:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:17:41","slug":"va-eyes-more-medical-care-for-vets-with-toxic-exposure-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2024\/02\/01\/va-eyes-more-medical-care-for-vets-with-toxic-exposure-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"VA eyes more medical care for vets with toxic exposure issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thousands of veterans who faced toxic exposure risks<\/a> in the military may be eligible for expanded health care options<\/a> through Veterans Affairs starting this March, under plans being finalized by department officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White House leaders last fall said they hoped to accelerate portions of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act<\/a> \u2014 better known as the PACT Act \u2014 passed by Congress in 2022 which expanded medical care and benefits eligibility for millions of former service members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the last 16 months, about 100,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care thanks to provisions in the legislation, and more than 697,000 have received benefits claims approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But several other sections of the law were scheduled to be phased in over coming years, including language extending health care to all veterans stationed in Iraq after August 1990 or in Afghanistan after September 2001, many of whom were exposed to toxic smoke from burn pits.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t