You’ve likely already heard about how the PACT Act could impact your care and benefitsbut did you know it also expands health care eligibility for many Veterans?

When President Biden signed the PACT Act Aug. 10, 2022, it was initiated one of the largest expansions of VA benefits in history. This includes extended VA health care enrollment eligibility to Vietnam-era, Gulf War-era and Post-9/11 Veterans.

You can help spread the word about expanded eligibility to enroll in VA health care for your Veteran friends who have not previously enrolled. Here are all the details you need to know to help them get the care they earned and deserve.

For Vietnam-era Veterans

Vietnam-era Veterans who served in the following locations and time periods are eligible to apply for enrollment beginning now:

• Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975
• Thailand at any US or Royal Thai base

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends universal masking in health care settings, unless the facilities are in areas of high COVID-19 transmission.

The agency quietly issued the updates as part of an overhaul to its infection control guidance for health workers published late Friday afternoon. It marks a major departure from the agency’s previous recommendation for universal masking.

“Updates were made to reflect the high levels of vaccine-and infection-induced immunity and the availability of effective treatments and prevention tools,” the CDC’s new guidance says.

Now, the CDC says facilities in regions without high transmission can “choose not to require” all doctors, patients, and visitors to mask. Transmission is different from the community levels CDC uses to guide non-health care settings.

Community transmission refers to measures of the presence and spread of SARS-CoV-2, the CDC said.

“It is the metric currently recommended to guide select practices in

Earlier this week, Los Angeles Lakers combo guard Kendrick Nunn achieved a significant milestone on his continued road to recovery from the long-term injury that kept him off the floor for the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season.

Kyle Goon of Southern California News Group reports that this past Tuesday marked Nunn’s first full team practice since suffering a right knee bone bruise during the 2021-22 preseason.

“Getting the rhythm back and feeling good on the floor with no injuries, feeling pain-free and able to play is everything for me,” Nunn reflected. “So today was a good day for me.”

The former Heat guard inked a two-year, $10.25 million contract with the Lakers using the team’s taxpayer mid-level exception during the summer of 2021. It was among several offseason missteps for Rob Pelinka and the rest of LA’s front office brain trust. Per Shams Charania of The