EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Veterans and their families can learn about Veterans Affairs benefits while attending what is being billed as a fun, family event.
The El Paso VA Health Care Center, in partnership with the Waco VA Regional Office, will host a Summer VetFest and PACT Act Claims Clinic.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 26 at the El Paso VA Main Facility, 5001 N. Piedras.
Veterans will be able to meet one-on-one with a VA representative to submit a PACT Act claim or learn about their VA health benefits and eligibility.
The PACT Act expanded VA health care and benefits to all veterans exposed to toxins and other hazards during their service, whether at home or abroad.
“This expansion means that all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without needing to apply for VA benefits first,” the VA said in a news release.
Additionally, veterans who were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States, even if they never deployed, are also eligible to enroll, the VA said.
The event will also include a veterans resources fair, an arts and humanities fair, free back-to-school supplies (children must be present to receive items, as supplies last), food trucks and live entertainment by Blackberry Jam Experience.
There will also be a car seat check-up offered by TxDOT and the University Medical Center Foundation. The car seat check will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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