KALISPELL - U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) was in Kalispell on Friday, July 7, 2023, to host a roundtable discussion with veterans, VA officials and veterans service organizations regarding healthcare.
The discussion touched on a wide range of topics including expanding health care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans and survivors. Sen. Tester and VA officials talked about the importance of getting young veterans signed up for toxic-exposure screenings and checkups before it’s too late.
“We’ve got to get the information out, the VA does with [the] help of the Veteran Service Organizations, get the information out to these young vets and say, hey I know life, you’re moving and grooving and things are good, but sign up, make sure you’re part of the equation because later on in life if you have problems it will make it a lot easier for you to get the kind of benefits and health care that you’ve earned.”
Under the PACT Act which was signed into law last August, the VA has screened more than 23,000 veterans for toxic-exposure relate conditions.
