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VA is taking action to transform medical care and services for Gulf War Veterans in seven key areas.  Find out all the details by checking the final draft of the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses 2011 Task Force Report (527 KB, PDF).

Better care and services for Gulf War Veterans

Here are VA’s recent actions that benefit Gulf War Veterans:

• The VA and Department of Defense (DoD) have established partnerships to share information and resources regarding environmental exposures.
• A final rule published September 29, 2010 granted presumption of service connection for nine infectious diseases associated with Gulf War service. Another final rule published October 7, 2010 clarified that "undiagnosed chronic multisymptom illnesses" are not limited to the examples listed in the previous statutes and regulations.
• Three new Veterans Health Initiatives have been completed on Caring for Gulf War Veterans, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Culture.
• VA is conducting several scientific research studies involving Gulf War Veterans; for example, studies with deployed and non-deployed Gulf War Veterans, health and nutrition, and health care utilization.
• VA streamlined its process of developing the Gulf War Review newsletter to make it timely and improve content. VA is using a variety of different ways to get news out to Gulf War Veterans, including seminars, conference calls, e-mail announcements, Web updates, Facebook and Twitter.
• VA is integrating Gulf War service teams in its medical facilities, with patient-aligned care teams, a new model for patient-centric primary care.

The Veterans Health Administration offers three levels of care for Veterans concerned about adverse health effects from hazardous exposures:

1. Primary care provider
2. Environmental health coordinators
3. War Related Illness and Injury Study Centers

VA continues to implement initiatives and improvements suggested by the Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force chaired by VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich, a Gulf War Veteran. The Task Force will continue to update Congress.

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