NBC Montana: Tester marks opening of Montana’s first disability exam clinic

Sen. Jon Tester stopped in Missoula Friday to mark the grand opening of Montana’s first designated clinic for veteran disability exams.

The facility will provide up to 500 exams per month, officials say. The evaluations allow veterans to receive a disability rating for their injuries and submit claims for benefits.

Tester pushed for the new clinic, which QTC Medical Services will run. The facility will offer services including audiology, dental and mental health.

“Being able to have this clinic, being able to have this up and functional and provide the services it provides is going to do nothing but help the veterans in the region,” Tester told reporters.

The clinic is one of the doors into the VA, Montana’s senior senator said, but that door can remain closed for veterans due to distance and a lack of providers.

Tester also touted the PACT Act at Friday’s event. The bipartisan bill that has become law expands benefits to veterans who had toxic exposures to substances like Agent Orange and burn pits.