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September 15, 2023

Calling all Wilmington-area Veterans:

The PACT Act special VA health care enrollment period ends September 30

This health care eligibility expansion under the “Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act recognizes generations of toxic-exposed Veterans, offering them access to the health care they’ve earned and deserve.

PACT Act is possibly the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history. It includes:

• Expansion and extension of VA health care eligibility for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras
• Adds more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures (including conditions like respiratory illnesses, specific cancers, autoimmune diseases, among others)
• Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
• Spouses or eligible dependents of Veterans who have passed away from what is now deemed a presumptive condition, may be eligible for Death Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
• Camp Lejeune Justice Act for Veteran and their family’s compensation
• Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to eligible Veterans enrolled in VA health care
• PACT Act extended the enhanced eligibility timeframe from five years to ten years for National Guard and Reserve members
• If you served against hostile forces after 1998 you could be eligible for VA health care

In some cases, VA automatically presumes that your service caused your condition. These are presumptive conditions. If you have one of these illnesses, you only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption. For other illness or injury, you may need to prove they were connected to your military service. PACT Act mandates toxic exposure screenings for Veterans to better understand how these toxic exposures affect the whole body to better treat these and future illnesses.

For Veterans living in Delaware and southern New Jersey, enrollment specialists at the Wilmington VA Medical Center are ready to help. Call 1-800-461-8262 ext. 5212 to find out about your PACT Act eligibility as well as start the enrollment process. Or stop by in-person at the Wilmington VA Medical Center’s Eligibility Office at 1601 Kirkwood Highway Wilmington, Delaware. You can also stop by the nearest VA clinic in your area. If you live in Delaware, we have clinics in Dover and Georgetown. If you live in southern New Jersey, we have clinics in Northfield, Rio Grande, and Vineland. Don’t forget to bring a copy of your DD-214 with you and a valid ID.

Remember, all Veteran and eligible surviving family members can file claims now to apply for PACT Act-related benefits. Visit VA.gov/PACT to learn more about PACT Act eligibility.

About VA Healthcare-VISN 4

VA Healthcare–VISN 4 is a fully integrated network of 9 VA campuses, 46 outpatient clinics, and 16 vet centers covering 83 counties in Pennsylvania and Delaware and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey.

In fiscal year 2022, VISN 4 served 321,366 patients from across the Nation. With a staff of 17,066 and an operating budget of more than $3.1 billion, VISN 4 is working hard to transform toward personalized, patient-driven health care.

VA health care covers care for your physical and mental health. This includes a range of services from checkups to surgeries to home health care. It also includes prescriptions and medical equipment.