VETERANS PRESS: Important message to Vietnam Era veterans

The message below is another notice of the new eligibility available because of the Pact Act. 

Please read and pass this along to any veterans you know that may qualify. 

Hello veteran and to each of you supporting the veterans you know… 

Next week, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs will email two million Vietnam Era veterans with important information about the PACT Act and why now is the time to ensure that veteran you know gets enrolled in VA! In the meantime, please share the information below far and wide: 

At VA, we’re making millions of veterans eligible for VA health care under the PACT Act. Here’s what you need to know:

• If you served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq or Afghanistan, you can enroll.  

• If you deployed to any combat zone after 9/11, you can enroll.  

• If you deployed in support of the Global War on Terror, you can enroll.  

• And even if you never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or serving on active duty here at home — by working with chemicals, pesticides, lead, asbestos, certain paints, nuclear weapons, X-rays, and more — you can enroll, too. 

Bottom line: All veterans who meet the minimum service requirements and were exposed to toxins and other hazards — at home or abroad — are eligible to enroll in VA care. 

VA provides the best and most affordable health care for veterans in America — and this is your chance to apply.  Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than those who get their care elsewhere. And copays can be as low as $0 for prescriptions, urgent care, outpatient care, and more. 

Even if you don’t think you need this care today, you might need it tomorrow, or the next day, or 30 years from now. All you have to do is enroll, then you have access for life. 

So please, don’t miss this opportunity: better, more affordable health care is waiting for you. Go to VA.gov/PACT (https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/) and apply now. You can also call 1-800-MyVA411 (Option 2) to learn more about these benefits and services, or you can visit your nearest VA Medical Center (https://www.va.gov/find-locations). 

Apply now:

You can apply for VA health care: 

• Online at https://www.va.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction 

• By calling our toll-free hotline at 877-222-8387, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. 

• By mailing a completed Application for Heath Care Benefits (VA Form 10-10EZ) to: Health Eligibility Center, 2957 Clairmont Road, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30329

• In person by visiting your nearest VA medical center or clinic.

• • •

Bret Bowers, USAF veteran is a public affairs officer for Mann-Grandstaff VAMC. He can be reached at 509-434-7378, Bret.bowers@va.gov or visit www.va.gov/spokane-health-care.