Lessons from 9/11 for Supporting Veterans Exposed to Military Environmental Hazards: Veterans' Issues in Focus.

Exposure to environmental hazards exacerbates the risks inherent in military service, but many veterans do not experience the health consequences until many years later. The 2022 Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act tasked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with streamlining benefits and health care eligibility for certain veterans who have been exposed to military hazards. However, questions and concerns remain about the equitability, scientific robustness, and timeliness of the associated decisionmaking processes. There are opportunities to use structures from existing programs-specifically, the World Trade Center Health Program-as a template to improve engagement with veterans and their families, caregivers, providers, and advocates to ensure that their experiences and needs are heard, understood, and an integral part of the PACT Act's implementation.