WASHINGTON D.C. (NMB) – This past week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which was introduced by Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Jon Tester and supported by Senator Steve Daines.
If passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law, the act would expand the Department of Veterans Affairs health care for Post-9/11 combat veterans. This includes veterans suffering from conditions related to toxic exposure.
A press release from Tester’s office says approximately 3.5 million Post-9/11 combat veterans may have experienced some level of exposure to burn puts during their service. Among those, nearly one-third are currently unable to access VA care.
The press release adds that, “the bill would extend the period of health care eligibility for combat veterans who served after September 11th, 2001 from five years to ten years following discharge—enrolling a new wave of previously-ineligible veterans into the VA system. This bill also includes critical measures to improve training on toxic exposures for VA employees, mandate clinical toxic exposure screenings, and bolster federal research on the effects of toxic exposures.”
