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Honoring Our Heroes: Veterans Day (November 2022)
When military service members deploy to war zones, they are facing more dangers than just enemy fire. The PACT Act, signed into law in August, provides an easier route for service members to obtain care for medical conditions that are now presumed to be caused by toxins they came into contact with while serving. Rand Middleton / West Central Tribune file photo
PACT Act opens VA health benefits to millions of veterans
BY SHELBY LINDRUD | West Central Tribune
While in a war zone, members of the armed forces face numerous dangers not least of which is enemy fire. During the Vietnam War, Gulf War and the military actions following 9/11, soldiers also had to deal with exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals and toxins. The consequences of that exposure might not be known for years afterwards, leaving millions of veterans with lifealtering medical conditions and a need for medical care and assistance.
On Aug. 10, President Joe Biden signed into law the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, better known as the PACT Act. With this new legislation, those veterans who were exposed to these toxins could be able to get the care they need.
“The PACT Act is one of the largest expansions of veterans benefits in VA history,” said David Hintgen, director of Health Administration Services for the St. Cloud Veterans Administration Health Care Services, which includes the VA clinic in Montevideo. “It is expected to impact millions of veterans by creating additional pathways to VA health care.”
The PACT Act increases access to VA health care to Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans who served in war zones and were exposed to toxins while serving. Toxins exposure includes chemicals, air pollutants, occupational hazards and warfare agents. For instance, chemicals can include Agent Orange and burn pits.
“Burn pits were heavily used in the post 9/11 era in areas such as Iraq to dispose of waste and other garbage,” Hintgen said. “They pretty much threw everything into those pits and set them on fire.”
Occupational hazards could include things such as asbestos or lead exposure and air pollutants may be breathing in too much sand or being to close to oil fires, both of which were big issues for military service members in the Gulf War.
Exposure to these types of elements can cause some serious medical conditions, such as respiratory issues and cancers. Prior to the PACT Act, veterans usually had to prove a medical condition was connected to their service time before they became eligible for expanded benefits.
“The burden generally falls on the veteran to prove the condition was caused in service in the line of duty,” Hintgen said.
With the passage of the PACT Act, more than 20 medical conditions are considered presumptive conditions.
These conditions include many different types of cancer — such as brain, gastrointestinal, kidney and melanoma — as well as conditions like chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic rhinitis.
“We presume that your presence in that area and that condition was caused by you being exposed during that service period,” Hintgen said.
Having these conditions now be presumptive will make it easier for veterans to file claims and receive the care they need.
“If you are not already enrolled in VA health care, it is going to make you eligible right off the bat,” Hintgen said. “Now the entire VA health care package opens up to you.”
Those who are already enrolled in VA health care and fall under the new PACT Act eligibility rules might see additional benefits to help with medical care such as no copay or prescription costs.
“It opens up this huge array of health care services,” from primary care to complicated specialty care, long term care and even home health care, Hintgen said.
The PACT Act could also mean those veterans who applied for VA health care in the past and were turned away could find themselves eligible.
Hintgen said a veteran’s eligibility could change several times and for various reasons. It never hurts to check your eligibility again. The St. Cloud VA HCS can help with that. Veterans can come to the health care center from 8 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Fridays to talk with someone about their health care eligibility, no appointment necessary. They can also call at 320- 255-6340. Hintgen urges all veterans to apply for VA health care, even if they feel they are still young or not ill.
“Our message is always come see us, let’s sit down and talk about it,” Hintgen said.
Veterans can also reach out to their county veterans service officer with questions about the PACT Act and how it might impact an individual. Hintgen said the local VSO should always be a veteran’s first stop when dealing with veterans benefits, before anything or anyone else.
“You don’t need a lawyer to file a claim for VA benefits or enroll in VA health care,” Hintgen said.
The PACT Act officially went into effect Oct. 1, and Hintgen said the St. Cloud VA is already seeing an impact.
“We’ve started accepting applications for care from PACT Act-eligible veterans,” Hintgen said, adding that the Veterans Benefits Association is also accepting claims from veterans who now may be eligible.
Hintgen said the act is bound to have a big impact on many veterans, and believe those veterans who served during the Gulf War era will probably benefit quite a bit. Hintgen said those veterans have gotten a bit lost between those who served in Vietnam and the post-9/11 era. “We’ve closed that gap,” Hintgen said. The PACT Act will help make sure even more veterans who need help will have opportunities to get it. And the VA will be there to help them.
“We are committed to ensuring our veterans and their families receive the benefits they have earned and provide them with the best care possible,” Hintgen said. “That is our mission here.”
