Exciting Health Care News for Grand Rapids and Michigan Veterans

For veterans here in Grand Rapids and around Michigan, navigating VA Health Benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is, and always has been, hell on wheels. Right? It's been tough and confusing.

Well, the cavalry has arrived! AARP just announced the launching of an interactive, mobile-friendly Veterans and Military Families Health Benefits Navigator. In other words, now, there's an app for that, and, it makes sense.

WOOD TV published a report about the new Navigator program that brings together valuable information and resources in real-time to help veterans, military families, and their caregivers navigate their healthcare options. Finally!

They have put this together to help veterans and their families understand and access new PACT Act benefits and the recently announced new life insurance program from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VALife.

The exciting thing is that this new PACT Act provides additional VA benefits and health services to more than five million veterans exposed to toxins during Vietnam, the Gulf War, and post 9/11 eras. VALife, which is also expected to extend eligibility to millions of veterans, will begin processing applications beginning this coming January 1, 2023.

In the past, there was so much frustration with the application process and confusion about qualification requirements, that many veterans of the 534,775 veterans living in Michigan didn't even bother to apply. Now they can because it's so much easier thanks to AARP.

AARP’s Veterans and Military Families Health Benefits Navigator is available at www.AARP.org/VetsHealthNavigator. For more information and other resources for veterans, visit www.aarp.org/veterans.

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