Veterans Day: get your VA toxic exposure screening

Colorado Springs is a military town, and many of the families I'll care for include someone who has served. This Veterans Day, toxic exposure is back in the news. On November 10, ABC News reported that Sen. Tammy Duckworth plans to introduce a bill that would require the VA to review new combat zones for toxic hazards within 180 days. Whatever happens with that bill, a law already on the books, the PACT Act, gives many veterans a benefit they haven't used yet.

What the PACT Act does

The PACT Act, passed in 2022, expanded VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation and other toxic substances. It added more than 20 conditions the VA now presumes are connected to service. For those conditions, having served in a covered place and time can be enough. You don't have to prove that a specific burn pit caused your illness.

For Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans, the presumed conditions include many cancers (such as brain, head and neck, gastrointestinal, kidney, pancreatic, reproductive and respiratory cancers, lymphoma and melanoma) and lung conditions such as asthma diagnosed after service, chronic sinusitis and rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. For Vietnam-era veterans, high blood pressure and MGUS, a blood protein condition, were added to the Agent Orange list.

Who can enroll in VA health care

Since March 2024, you can enroll in VA health care without first applying for disability benefits if you meet the basic service and discharge requirements and either:

• Served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan or another post-9/11 combat zone, or deployed in support of the Global War on Terror, or
• Were exposed to toxins or hazards during service, at home or abroad.

The free toxic exposure screening

Every veteran enrolled in VA health care is offered a toxic exposure screening, then a follow-up at least once every five years. It asks about burn pits and other airborne hazards, Gulf War exposures, Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune water and more. You can ask for it at your next VA appointment, contact your local VA facility, or schedule a telehealth screening online.

Why it's worth doing even if you feel fine:

• It puts your exposures on record while your memory is fresh, which can help if a claim comes up years later.
• It shapes your screening. Knowing your exposures helps any doctor decide which symptoms to take seriously and which tests to consider.
• There's no deadline. The VA says you can file a claim any time, and filing sooner means benefits start sooner. A claim that was denied before can be refiled with a Supplemental Claim.

For families and survivors

The PACT Act also extends benefits to survivors of veterans who died from a covered condition, including monthly compensation, health care through CHAMPVA and education benefits. If you lost someone who served, it's worth a call even if an earlier claim was denied.

If you're a veteran, tell any doctor you see where and when you served. It belongs in your medical history as much as your family history does. Military families can read more in my guide to direct primary care with TRICARE and VA care.

To start, call the VA at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711) or visit VA.gov.

Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The PACT Act and your VA benefits (updated June 2, 2026). va.gov. Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, Public Law 117-168. ABC News. Sen. Duckworth wants VA to identify toxic threats before veterans get sick. November 10, 2026. abcnews.com.