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VA access to health care expanded, immediate treatment available for vets under to PACT Act expanded

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published March 7, 2024 at 7:34 AM EST
Senior Airman Frances Gavalis tosses unserviceable uniform items into a burn pit at Balad Air Base, Iraq in 2008. The military destroyed uniforms, equipment and other materials in huge burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some veterans say those pits are responsible for respiratory problems they are now experiencing.
Senior Airman Julianne Showalter/USAF
Senior Airman Frances Gavalis tosses unserviceable uniform items into a burn pit at Balad Air Base, Iraq in 2008. The military destroyed uniforms, equipment and other materials in huge burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some veterans say those pits are responsible for respiratory problems they are now experiencing.

The Veterans Administration is expanding access to health care for veterans through the PACT Act.

The PACT Act is now allowing all veterans as far back as the 1950s that were exposed to burn pits, contaminated water aboard Camp Lejeune, and other toxic substances to immediately apply for treatment of illnesses that may be connected to their exposure.

Previously, only a small number of the eligible vets could apply—and those benefits were expected to slowly roll out to everyone qualified to receive them by 2032.

The VA lists more than 20 conditions for which veterans can automatically receive treatment.
Annette Weston
Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston