ABOVE: VA Illiana Chief of Health Administration Service Maridith Hearnley talks with Veterans during Tuesday’s VETFEST outside Danville Stadium.
It was a special time outside Danville Stadium late Tuesday afternoon and evening. Leading up to the Danville Dans game with Illinois Valley, VA Illiana Health Care had VET FEST set up outside the stadium behind home plate. Veterans who served our country can now receive additional coverage for presumptive conditions, thanks to the PACT ACT, which is the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022. This brought about new benefits for injuries from toxic chemicals.
Maridith Hearnley, Chief of Health Administration Service for VA Illiana Health Care, says these new qualifications could apply to you or a loved one.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: If a Veteran was not previously eligible for health care, it’s possible that they now may qualify for health care under one of the new criteria established under the PACT ACT. It expands VA Health Care and benefits for Veterans that were exposed to toxic substances.
Just one example of those toxic substances would be Agent Orange. Hearnley says one major feature of the PACT ACT is there is no longer a burden of proof for over 300 additional conditions that Veterans may be fighting.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: Presumptive conditions are medical conditions that are assumed to be caused by military service. If a Veteran has a presumptive condition, they don’t need to prove that their service was caused by the condition. We really encourage all of our Veterans to check their eligibility for health care.
Hearnley says to look into this further you can stop by VA Illiana Health Care in Danville at 1900 East Main, go to va.gov or call 877-222-8387.
