PACT Act looks to provide more VA Health Care for Veterans
MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIF. (KION-TV)- A new bill is aimed at helping veterans and expanding their health care benefits.
It's called the PACT Act. This bill will expand the health care that our vets and survivors get. One of those includes being exposed to toxic substances.
That includes burn pits, agent orange, and other toxic substances just to name a few. Veterans who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras will also qualify.
The act is bringing a big amount of financial benefits to ensure everyone who applies can qualify. Congressman Jimmy Panetta was at the presser held in Monterey County and weighed in on the financial aspects of the bill.
“Since the PACT Act was signed into law almost a year ago, the VA has delivered more than 1.4 billion, with a B, billion dollar impact that benefits our veterans,” Panetta said.
On top of the extra funding:
- More than 665,000 veterans applied for the PACT Act benefits.
- 3.9 million benefits have received toxic exposure screenings.
- More than 287,000 veterans enrolled in VA healthcare.
Palo Alto VA representatives also added that every enrolled veteran will receive a toxic exposure screening, and a follow up screening will happen every five years after the initial screening.
At the VA Palo Alto alone, they’ve screened 26, 640 veterans.
While there is no hard deadline for PACT Act benefits, if you file by August 9th, you may receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022.
The VA encourages veterans to check with their local veteran service officer for more details.
You can also click the link to apply here.
