The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has initiated a new outreach campaign to encourage eligible veterans, including approximately one million who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to enroll in VA health care. This initiative will use various communication methods such as text messages, emails, public service announcements, paid advertising, and events.

This campaign follows reports of veterans expressing concerns about health issues potentially linked to repeated blast exposure. These issues include mental health challenges and thoughts of suicide related to low-level artillery blasts, IEDs, missile launches, heavy fire, and other similar exposures. The VA has been actively researching these concerns to understand better the potential health impacts on veterans.

Veterans already enrolled in VA can access specialized screenings and services for health issues related to blast exposure. Those who served in specific locations during conflicts are eligible for VA health care based on their deployments without needing a condition directly associated with their service.

The Biden-Harris Administration urges all eligible veterans to apply for VA care. Research indicates that veterans using VA health care experience better outcomes than those not enrolled. Furthermore, VA hospitals outperform non-VA hospitals significantly, offering more affordable care options for veterans. A notable 92% of veteran patients report trust in VA outpatient services.

"We take Veteran concerns about repeated blast exposure very seriously," stated VA Secretary Denis McDonough. "While we do that, we don’t want Veterans to wait – they should enroll in VA health care today."

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health at the VA said: "VA aims to be the best, most accessible, and most affordable health system in America for Veterans."

Earlier this year, the VA made it possible for all veterans exposed to toxins or hazards meeting basic requirements to enroll directly into its healthcare system ahead of schedule set by the PACT Act. This includes veterans from various conflicts and those exposed during training or active duty within the United States.

This outreach effort is part of an extensive campaign launched after President Biden signed the PACT Act into law in 2022. Since then, over 835,000 veterans have enrolled in VA healthcare—a 37% increase—while more than 900,000 have upgraded their priority groups for fewer copays.