Resources for Veterans: March 18, 2024

On Tuesday, March 5, the VA healthcare system rolled out expanded healthcare eligibility for veterans who may have been exposed in a Toxic Exposure Risk Area (TERA). In addition to qualifying based on active military service while assigned to a duty station in specified locations or contingency operations, the exposure areas due to health factors is widely expanded in the areas of air pollutants, chemicals, radiation, warfare agents and occupational hazards.

The main health eligibility center, over the next few weeks, will be reviewing all veterans in the enrollment system to determine if they should be placed in Priority Group 6 under TERA. Especially if you are presently in Priority Group 7 or 8, please reach out to either your local County Veteran Service Officer or to our facility to request a review of your record under TERA. This is a very new program, and we want all veteran to be enrolled into their highest priority group, and TERA allows for this expansion.

This expansion of care covers Vietnam veterans, Gulf War veterans, Iraq War veterans, Afghanistan War veterans, veterans who deployed in support of contingency operations for the Global War on Terror – Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom's Sentinel, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support Mission – and more. This expansion also covers many veterans who never deployed as a part of a conflict but were exposed to toxins or hazards while serving in the U.S. Specifically, any veteran who participated in a TERA – at home or abroad – is eligible for VA health care. VA has determined that veterans who were exposed to one or more of the following hazards or conditions during active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training participated in a TERA:

• Air pollutants (burn pits, sand, dust, particulates, oil well fires, sulfur fires);

• Chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, depleted uranium with embedded shrapnel, contaminated water);

• Occupational hazards (asbestos, industrial solvents, lead, paints including chemical agent resistant coating, firefighting foams);

• Radiation (nuclear weapons handling, maintenance and detonation, radioactive material, calibration and measurement sources, X-rays, radiation from military occupational exposure);

• Warfare agents (nerve agents, chemical and biological weapons); and more.

VA will use all available information to determine if veterans participated in a TERA, including military records and service connection.