Representative Joe Neguse

Dear Neighbor,

Are you or a loved one a former member of the United States military? If so, you may be eligible for VA health care assistance. Last year, the Congress and President enacted the PACT Act – the most significant expansion of VA Health Care in over 30 years.

Our veterans and service members sacrifice so much to keep us safe, and it is our duty to make sure we honor our commitments to them when they come home. The PACT Act provides coverage to an estimated 3.5 million post 9/11 veterans, who may have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins during military deployment.

The PACT Act has benefitted over 700,000 individuals so far, but there are millions of veterans who have yet to file claims—with two fast-approaching deadlines:

August 9, 2023: Veterans and survivors must file a claim before August 9, 2023, to be eligible for retroactive compensation backdating to August 10, 2022. You can file a claim here: https://www.va.gov/disability/file-disability-claim-form-21-526ez/introduction.
October 1, 2023: Post-9/11 combat veterans who were discharged over 10 years ago and are not enrolled in VA health care must enroll by October 1, 2023, to take advantage of the open enrollment period. This allows veterans to avoid a phased-in enrollment period that could mean waiting longer until they are eligible.

For additional information go to VA.Gov/PACT or call 1-800-698-2411. Our office is also here to help, please do not hesitate to reach out via email or call my office, 303-335-1045 if you need assistance with the VA.

Sincerely,

Joe Neguse
Member of Congress