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Monterey County announces March 19 PACT Act claim clinic for veterans
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Summary
County Military & Veterans Affairs and VA Palo Alto will run a March 19 clinic in Marina offering toxic‑exposure screenings and on‑site claims assistance for veterans eligible under the PACT Act; the VA identified about 4,302 potentially eligible veterans in Monterey County.
A special VA claim clinic to screen veterans for toxic‑exposure conditions under the PACT Act will be held Thursday, March 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the County of Monterey Military and Veterans Affairs office, 26 21st Avenue in Marina, County military and veterans affairs officer Jack Murphy said.
Murphy said his office is partnering with VA Palo Alto’s mobile medical team to offer toxic‑exposure screenings, health‑care enrollment if needed and on‑site assistance filing VA disability claims. "We're not gonna turn any veteran away," Murphy said, urging veterans who meet Gulf War or post‑9/11 service criteria to attend.
The clinic targets veterans identified by the VA as potentially eligible under the PACT Act (the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins), the federal law signed in August 2022 that established presumptive benefits for certain service‑period and location exposures. Murphy said the VA identified "over 4,300" veterans in Monterey County who could be eligible and that, across Monterey and San Benito counties, the office serves roughly 19,000 veterans and 6,000 active service members.
Murphy described recent results from the county office: last year staff assisted just over 3,300 unique veterans in filing about 5,700 claims and said the office received 2,101 VA disability compensation awards back. He added that those awards can unlock a range of benefits including VA health care, education benefits, housing access and hiring preferences for civil service jobs.
The county office asked veterans to bring identification and said VA clinical staff will determine whether to enroll veterans in VA health care during the visit. Murphy also encouraged veterans already enrolled in VA care to obtain the toxic‑exposure screening if they have not done so.
County communications said outreach to potentially eligible veterans included direct mail, email and posters; the announcement included a QR code and a county phone number and website for questions. The county and VA asked residents to spread word to veterans who may meet the PACT Act parameters.
The county plans no fee for the screening; the clinic pairs VA clinical assessment with county staff help for claims paperwork. The event is one‑day and walk‑in or scheduled details were provided by the county through its contact channels.
