Beginning Nov. 8, veterans enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs health care will be offered an initial toxic exposure screening and then follow-up screenings at least once every five years at VA medical centers and clinics across the country.
“The toxic exposure screening is a new set of questions that all primary care providers will discuss with their patients beginning Nov. 8,” explained VA Press Secretary and Iraqi Freedom and Army veteran Terrence Hayes.
The screenings are required by the PACT Act, which was signed into law in August. The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics ACT provides expands opportunities for VA health care and benefits to the roughly 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits and airborne toxins during their service across all eras.
The screening itself takes five to 10 minutes and begins by asking veterans if they believe they experienced any toxic exposures while serving in the armed forces. Veterans who answer “yes” are then asked about specific exposures, including open burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, contaminated water, and other exposures.
“These screenings are an important step toward making sure that all toxic-exposed veterans get the care and benefits they deserve,”said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in a statement. “At the end of the day, these screenings will improve health outcomes for veterans — and there’s nothing more important than that.”
VA began a pilot of the screening program on Sept. 6. Since then, it has screened more than 19,000 veterans and found a 37% concern of exposure among those veterans.
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Hayes himself was asked the questions during his toxic exposure screening on Nov. 2 at the DV VA Medical Center.
“This screening is not invasive or hands-on,” he stressed. “It’s a conversation between physician and patient.”
Veterans who report concerns about toxic exposures will be connected to information about clinical resources and benefits.
“These questions range from items such as asking if the veteran came in contact with burn pits, radiation and other toxics during his or her service,” explained Hayes. “These questions potentially lead to additional questions that may result in further testing and perhaps diagnosis of conditions that the care team will work to provide care for.”
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Veterans can ask about receiving the screening at their next VA primary care provider appointment. If veterans are not assigned to a primary care team or wish to be screened sooner than their next appointment, they can contact their local facility and ask to be screened by the toxic exposure screening navigator.
“These screenings are given once every five years but this is not a one-and-done for veterans and their primary care physician,” stressed Hayes. “The hope is that the conversation continues after the initial screening and that the Veteran feels comfortable sharing further information about potential exposure or symptoms with their doctor that results in the care they require.”
Hayes urged veterans who believe they may have been impacted by toxics during their service to immediately seek enrollment in care at their local VA medical facility, by calling 1-800-MY-VA-411 or visiting va.gov/PACT. And while the screenings will not automatically result in benefits, it does help in the process, he said.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.