Items of Interest for ALL Veterans

---

Hey Connecticut Veterans! You’re invited to get assistance enrolling in VA health care and accessing the services you’ve earned. Concerns about your toxic exposure while in service? Find out what resources you are eligible for. Interested in income-based benefits for war-time Veterans and survivors? Learn about VA burial options. Need help applying for a Veteran ID card? Need help submitting a VA disability claim? Need housing or worried about becoming homeless? Ready to enroll in VA health care? Want to check the status of your disability claim or appeal? Want to connect with resources available in your community? Want to learn more about VA health care options for women? This is an exclusive event for Veterans and their families in the Connecticut area. Don’t miss this opportunity to access the benefits you’ve earned. Just show up on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 from 03:30 PM to 06:30 PM. Event Location: Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs 287 West Street Rocky Hill, CT 06067

________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a GREAT resource for Veterans!

#VetResources is a weekly newsletter for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.  Events, education, jobs, WAY MORE.  Check it out!

 

________________________________________________________________

SCAM.  Military Health System Portal.  SCAM.

The Defense Health Agency is warning patients about a website posing as its online military records system and patient portal, Military Health System Genesis.

“If you find any websites that reference the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal or other information about MHS GENESIS that are not part of the .mil domain, those are not official government websites or affiliated with the Department of Defense or Military Health System,” the post states.

---

Redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry On August 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched the redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (the Burn Pit Registry). The registry is an important research tool that enables VA to identify and study health challenges spanning the Veteran and service member population as a whole – providing Veterans and service members of this generation an opportunity to help improve the care and benefits of Veterans and service members in generations to come. Ultimately, the registry is a database that combines Veteran and service member data to help VA better understand, research, and ultimately improve treatment and benefit options for the health challenges experienced by Veterans and service members exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during their military service. Importantly, participation in the registry is optional and does not impact nor determine eligibility for VA health care or benefits.  If you meet the eligibility criteria listed below, there is no action required by you – you will be included. However, if you do not wish to be included in the registry, you can opt out anytime by submitting an “opt out inquiry” at https://vethome.va.gov/BurnPitRegistryOptOut/   Important updates to the registry include: The automatic inclusion of 4.7 million Veterans and service members who, according to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) records, meet the participation criteria outlined below. The removal of a cumbersome 144-question registry questionnaire. Establishment of an easy registry opt-out process. Veterans and service members (living or deceased) who, per DOD records, served in the military campaigns or theater of operations listed below from August 2, 1990, through August 31, 2021, will be automatically included: Operations and Campaigns: Desert Shield and Desert Storm (ODS/S); Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Enduring Freedom (OEF); and New Dawn (OND) Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and waters of the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea The Southwest Asia theater of military operations and Egypt Afghanistan, Djibouti, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, or Yemen any time after September 11, 2001 Associated airspaces of the countries and bodies of water listed above Please note, if you’ve already begun enrollment in the Burn Pit Registry, thank you for the steps you’ve taken, and no further action is required. You will have already been enrolled in the redesigned registry if you are eligible. Veterans can check their status by contacting their local Environmental Health Coordinator. Active-duty service members can check their status at https://vethome.va.gov/inquiry. We look forward to sharing the Burn Pit Registry’s future research findings and the better future made possible by the nearly 4.7 million Veterans and service members participating. Thank you for your service and for helping VA provide better care to all Veterans. Burn Pit Registry Opt Out     Enroll in VA health care. Apply online: VA.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction Apply over the phone: Call VA toll-free at 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411), Option 2. Apply in-person: Visit your nearest VA medical center (https://www.VA.gov/find-locations).   Submit a VA disability compensation $$$ claim. Schedule a virtual or in-person appointment with a VA benefits specialist. Submit your VA disability claim online. Get help from a VA accredited representative or Veteran Service Organization.

 

---

 

MilitaryRx Blog

Get health and savings tips at MilitaryRx Blog – our news center dedicated to people who count on TRICARE. Find useful tips on everything from savings on medication to getting prescriptions while away from home.

---

 

Comprehensive Veterans Benefit Website!

Check it out!   HERE

 

---

More than 250,000 veterans’ claims for PACT Act benefits completed since law enacted

PACT Act Benefits

 

---

Angel Flight Radio Tower Remix With Lyrics 

ANGEL FLIGHT RADIO

 

---

Veterans to receive free emergency mental health care beginning Jan. 17

Mental Health Care

---

---

Toxic Toll: PACT Act provides benefits for veterans who become ill after burn-pit exposure

Burn Pit Exposure

---

 

VA Life Insurance

---

Just in case you need emergency medical care over the holidays…

If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, you shouldn’t hesitate to get emergency care. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room quickly. A medical emergency is an injury, illness, or symptom so severe that without immediate treatment, you believe your life or health is in danger.

Emergency Medical Care Coverage

 

---

Veterans and transitioning military get free year of LinkedIn Premium
LinkedIn Premium

---

Thousands of independent pharmacies now able to rejoin Tricare network

Pharmacies Rejoin TriCare Network

---

First Look at the VA’s New Toxic Exposure Screening All Vets Will Take When Seeing a Doctor

---

 

VA to screen all patients for toxic exposure issues

VA Toxic Exposure Link

---

The PACT Act and your VA benefits

The PACT and its Benefits

---

If you are experiencing eye care issues, and qualify with the VA, or are caring for a veteran, here is something that might be of interest.

Eye Care for Veterans 

---

State Tax Information for Military Members and Retirees

---

These links contains an excellent compilation of Veterans Benefits in Connecticut. 

For example: Get a discount on your property taxes.

https://portal.ct.gov/DVA/Pages/State-of-CT-Guide-to-Benefits/Benefits

Additional CT Veteran Benefits