Just about anyone who has served in the military will benefit by attending Saturday’s town hall meeting, said Sheli Sweeney, an outreach specialist with the Veterans Administration.
The meeting will inform veterans about new health care options and benefits provided by recent legislation.
The PACT Act Town Hall is from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Community Center at St. John’s Parish, 315 South St.
The PACT Act expands services, said Sweeney, who works with the Veterans Administration Eastern Kansas Healthcare System.
The legislation was passed in August to expand access to health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. It also includes benefits for their survivors.
It also expands eligibility for veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War and Post-9/11 eras.
“If you were a veteran who served since 9/11 and got deployed, if you didn’t register for the VA by a certain time, you weren’t eligible later. This corrects that,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney will speak about the eligibility expansion, key components of the PACT Act and types of toxic exposure.
For example, veterans may have been exposed to numerous hazards during their military service. This includes air pollutants such as burn pits and oil well fires; chemicals such as Agent Orange, pesticides, depleted uranium, industrial solvents and more; radiation from nuclear weapons testing or x-rays; warfare agents such as mustard gas or nerve agents; or occupational hazards such as asbestos, lead, vibration, noise, paint or coolants.
The PACT Act adds more than 20 conditions that qualify for benefits, including numerous types of cancer and lung diseases.
The VA started screening for toxic exposure in November. Eligible veterans who have not enrolled will have an opportunity to enroll and receive the screening.
“There are a lot of veterans who don’t even know about those things or how they could impact them,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney will be available to answer questions and help veterans apply for benefits.
The LaHarpe VFW Auxiliary is hosting Saturday’s event. A similar program was offered locally in September, not long after the PACT Act was passed.
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