CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO — The PACT Act is being applauded by the White House as the most significant expansion of veteran benefits in 30 years, but many veterans could have questions about what it means.
According to a Monday release, the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center will host an information Town Hall meeting on Dec. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to help veterans understand how the PACT Act could change their benefits.
In a statement included in the release, John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Director Paul Hopkins explained why he thought it was so important for veterans to attend the event, saying, “It will open up eligibility for VA health care to millions of veterans, some which may have previously been denied. It also may provide benefits for survivors of certain veterans. The law is very extensive, and we want local veterans to attend so they can understand how it affects them.”
Representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs will be at the event to answer questions, the county recorder will be there to document original military documents and there will be several outreach booths available for veterans to visit.
VA enrollment and eligibility specialists will also be present, helping anyone wishing to apply for health care benefits. Veterans will also be able to take advantage of toxic exposure screenings.
What is the PACT Act?
The “Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022” was signed into law in August. Under the act, the Department of Veterans Affairs is beginning to screen every enrolled veteran for toxic exposures. Veterans may have experienced these exposures through chemicals, air pollutants, occupational hazards, radiation and warfare agents, the release explains.
This new act expands veterans’ eligibility for benefits, potentially affecting millions of people. In fact, some people who have been denied coverage in the past could now receive it thanks to additional eligibility categories.
Category 1: “Qualifies veterans who participated in toxic exposure risk activities while serving.”
Category 2: “Applies to veterans who were assigned to a duty station, or the airspace above, during specific periods of time, including those who served on or after Aug. 2, 1990 in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia or the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, veterans who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Uzbekistan or any other country determined relevant by VA may also be eligible for benefits.”
Category 3: “Veterans include those deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve and Resolute…
Read More: PACT Act significantly expands veteran benefits, Cape Girardeau VA to host