The PACT Act provides new opportunities for Veterans to access health care services and disability compensation? In this episode of theSITREP, Paul explains five ways the PACT Act will help Veterans and how you can find additional information about the PACT Act.

The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. This law helps us provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently announced an award of $5 million to community farming programs for Veterans. NIFA’s Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets) program specifically targets Veterans interested in pursuing careers across the food and agricultural sector. The aim is to equip Veterans with the necessary skills, training and experience that lead to meaningful employment opportunities to strengthen personal finances and rural economies.

Is VA Disability Compensation going up in 2023? In this episode of theSITREP, Paul explains how current Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) projections could mean a HUGE increase for Veterans and their dependents.

VA will be hosting the Northern California Economic Development Initiative (EDI) for transitioning service members, Veterans, their spouses and family members. The EDI will provide vital tools that help the military and Veteran communities learn about VA benefits and Veteran initiatives, get help with claims, explore financial strategies for long-term success and offer military spouses benefits and career training.

Why are some Veterans more at risk for heart disease or depression? Why do treatments work for some but not others? VA’s Million Veteran Program is using genetic, health, and lifestyle data collected from over 875,000 Veterans to support researchers’ quest for answers. You can help by joining today.

Learning new things while staying entertained has never been easier for America’s Veterans. The VA Podcasts Network offers a diverse selection of top-quality podcasts made with a Veteran community in mind. Each podcast specializes on a different topic and covers gripping content that no Veteran should want to miss out on. Just click on the podcasts to the right and listen to the wealth of knowledge that awaits to be heard.

Check-in for your next VA appointment might be different next time you come in. Beginning this summer, some VA facilities will allow Veterans to do one or both of these: Start the check-in process up to seven days in advance of the appointment. Check in at the clinic using your smartphone on the day of your appointment. As part of how VA is modernizing the way Veterans receive care, VA received extensive feedback from Veterans and caregivers about how the checking-in process can be made better, especially for those who use assistive technologies to access their benefits online. VA’s Office of Information and Technology, partnering with VHA, has applied this feedback to the design of the new, modernized patient check-in application coming soon to your location. At all VA locations by the end of August 2022 VA is deploying the application at facilities geographically. Deployment within all VISNs will occur by the end of August 2022.