JULY 13, 2023 – If you have been exposed to a toxic substance during your military service, you may be eligible for VA benefits, even if you have been turned down in the past.
You must apply by August 9, 2023, to possibly have your benefits backdated to August 10, 2022, if approved.
Join VA and the Wounded Warrior Project’s streaming and gaming team for a live broadcast on Twitch, July 14 at 4:00 p.m. EDT, to learn about the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.
The law adds to the list of health conditions that we assume (or “presume”) are caused by exposure to these substances, helping VA provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.
Click this link to go to the WWP Twitch page on July 14 at 4:00 p.m. EDT and to join the event.
The PACT Act is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history.
The PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
- Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures
If you’re a Veteran or survivor, you can file claims now to apply for PACT Act-related benefits.
To learn more about the PACT Act, go to VA.gov/PACT.
To learn more about VA benefits that help Veterans earn degrees, start careers, buy homes, stay healthy, and more, visit Choose.VA.gov.
By Bronwyn Emmett
Public Affairs Specialist
VA National Outreach Office