PACT Act
In August 2022, Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act, which finally drew an association in law between burn pit exposure among veterans and certain ailments, including many cancers.
The unity and leadership of House and Senate Democrats led to this monumental legislation being enacted just 24 hours after becoming law. This law makes nearly 3.5 million veterans eligible right now for the care and benefits they have earned, instead of forcing them to go through an onerous process of proving that their illness was related to their service. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, VA has delivered more than $1.4 billion dollars in PACT Act benefits to veterans. Additionally, more than 665,000 veterans have applied for PACT Act-related benefits, more than 3.9 million veterans have received new toxic exposure screenings, and more than 287,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care.
What is PACT Act:
❖ The PACT Act adds new presumptive conditions for radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins, and burn pit exposures.
❖ Eligibility to file claims related to the PACT Act expansion of benefits and relief associated with being granted those benefits went into effect immediately upon President Biden's signing it into law.
❖ Eligible veterans are encouraged to submit claims as soon as possible. Full eligibility information can be found at: https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/
❖ The new classification of 23 conditions as presumptive will decrease the paperwork and processing associated with these claims and will hasten the granting of relief. Veterans can file a new claim online at: https://www.va.gov/disability/file-disabilityclaimform-21-526ez/introduction
❖ Veterans who were previously denied a claim that is now a presumptive condition can file a supplemental claim at: https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/supplemental-claim/
❖ If a veteran previously submitted a claim for a condition now considered presumptive and the claim is still pending a decision, no action needs to be taken by the veteran, the review will proceed in accordance with the new eligibility.
❖ Claims processing related to PACT Act benefits began in January 2023 and new mechanisms and resources for processing also granted under the PACT Act has increased processing times.
❖ PACT Act-related claims that have been submitted by August 9, 2023 will be backdated to the date of the bill signing, meaning claims granted will be paid with an effective date of August 10, 2022.
❖ Information on VSOs and other resources available to guide veterans through the general claims process can be found at: https://www.va.gov/disability/get-help-filing-claim/
PACT Act Expansion of VA Healthcare:
❖ Expands the period of time that post-9/11 veterans have to enroll in VA healthcare from 5 to 10 years for veterans discharged or released after October 1, 2013
❖ Creates a one-year open enrollment period for veterans who already fall outside of the 10-year expanded window (defined as veterans discharged or released before October 1, 2013) from October 1, 2022, to October 1, 2023
❖ Authorizes 31 new VA medical and research centers in 19 states
o The 19 states: PA, GA,MD,LA,SC,TX,MN, NY,TN,MO,CO, KY, VA,NC, IN, FL, UT, WA, MA