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Monterey County, VA Palo Alto host PACT Act claim clinic for veterans on March 19
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Summary
Monterey County’s Military and Veterans Affairs office and VA Palo Alto will hold a PACT Act toxic-exposure claim clinic on March 19 in Marina; county staff said about 4,302 local veterans were identified as eligible and the clinic will include toxic exposure screenings and claims assistance.
Jack Murphy, Monterey County military and veterans affairs officer, said the county and VA Palo Alto will hold a PACT Act claim clinic for veterans on Thursday, March 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the county office in Marina (listed in the briefing as 26 21st Avenue, Old Fort Ord).
Murphy said the clinic will include a VA mobile medical team to provide toxic-exposure screenings, clinical assessments and — if needed — on-site VA health-care enrollment. County staff will assist veterans with filing VA disability and health-care claims and other enrollment tasks.
The event aims to reach veterans newly eligible under the PACT Act (the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act), Murphy said. He told listeners the VA identified roughly 4,302 veterans in Monterey County who may be eligible for expanded benefits and toxic-exposure screening, and that the county serves veterans across Monterey and San Benito counties.
Murphy reviewed recent county-year figures: his office assisted “just over 3,300 unique veterans” in filing claims last year, helping generate “just over 5,700 claims,” and the office recorded 2,101 returned VA disability compensation awards. He said those awards produced “about $21,500,000 in new recurring tax-free compensation” for local veterans and families, and that his office also processed 257 college tuition-fee waivers that he estimated saved more than $2,100,000 for Monterey County veterans.
"We're not gonna turn anyone away," Murphy said, encouraging veterans who meet service-time or location parameters for presumptive conditions to attend even if they already have VA health care but have not received a toxic-exposure screening.
Murphy described who may be eligible under the PACT Act: Vietnam-era veterans with Agent Orange exposure and Gulf War and post‑9/11 veterans who served in Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Djibouti, supporting areas and specific sites such as Karshi Khanabad, Uzbekistan. He said the PACT Act creates presumptions of exposure for certain conditions tied to those service periods and locations.
The county recommended veterans who think they may qualify attend the clinic or contact the Military and Veterans Affairs office via the county website or posted phone/QR information to make arrangements.
The county and VA will continue outreach through mailers, email and local postings; Murphy asked the community to help spread the word. The briefing closed with county staff thanking Murphy and noting they would share the clinic information with the public.
The county listed the clinic location and hours in the briefing; veterans seeking to confirm location or sign-up details should consult the county’s published contact information or the VA.
