SERVICE Act
US Service member throwing out of service chemical protective equipment into a burn pit
The Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments Act, known as the SERVICE Act, aims to expand Veteran eligibility for mammography screenings. Hendricks Thomas, a Marine Corps Veteran and health professional, was deployed to Iraq in 2005. She was exposed, daily, to burn pits. Diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2018, she passed away at age 42 on April 5, 2022.
Signed into law on June 2, 2022, the SERVICE Act requires VA to ensure that any Veteran, deployed during active military, naval or air service to an area where they may have had toxic exposure (such as burn pits) is eligible for breast cancer risk assessment, and, if clinically recommended by a VA health provider, mammography screening.
Key requirements for VA of the SERVICE Act also include; identifying and reporting locations and time periods of toxic exposure, and reporting rates of breast cancer for Veterans with toxic exposure versus rates of breast cancer for those without toxic exposure and those in the civilian population.
The SERVICE Act aligns with the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act) ensuring Veterans who may have had toxic exposure have access to the appropriate screenings and health care.
