Are You a Veteran? How the PACT Act May Help You.

A veteran sitting in a wheelchair hugs his daughter. They are outside.

16 Aug Are You a Veteran? How the PACT Act May Help You.

Posted at 08:00h in Cancer-Related Legal Issues, Health Insurance, Medical Care by Triage Cancer

The PACT Act is a new law that expands health care and other benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances while serving in the military.

Under the PACT Act, if a Veteran’s active military service meets certain requirements (location and time of service), then certain cancers and other illnesses are considered “presumptive conditions.” This means that Veterans do not need to prove that their military service actually caused the condition to get a VA disability rating. A VA disability rating (0-100%) determines what kinds of benefits you may receive as a Veteran

Veterans with a 20% rating are eligible for no-cost health care and prescription medications for service-connected disabilities.
Veterans with a 50% rating are eligible for no-cost health care and prescription medications for all conditions.

For Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veterans (Burn Pit/Toxic Exposure)

Service Requirements: If you served in any of the locations during the dates listed below, it will be presumed that you had burn pit/toxic exposure.

On or after September 11, 2001, in any of these locations:
- Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen
- The airspace above any of these locations
On or after August 2, 1990, in any of these locations:
- Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- The airspace above any of these locations

The presumptive conditions tied to toxic exposure under PACT Act are:

Cancers
- Brain cancer, gastrointestinal cancer of any type, glioblastoma, head cancer of any type, kidney cancer, lymphatic cancer of any type, lymphoma of any type, melanoma, neck cancer, pancreatic cancer, reproductive cancer of any type, respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type
Other Illnesses
- Asthma that was diagnosed after service, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis, emphysema, granulomatous disease, interstitial lung disease (ILD), pleuritis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis

Vietnam Era Veterans (Agent Orange Exposure)

Service Requirements: If you served in any of the locations during the dates listed below, it will be presumed that you had agent orange exposure.

Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from 1/9/62, through 6/30/76
Laos from 12/1/65, through 9/30/69
Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from 4/16/69, through 4/30/69
Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off of Guam or American Samoa from 1/9/62, through 7/30/80
Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from 1/1/72, through 9/30/77

The presumptive conditions tied to agent orange exposure under PACT Act are:

High blood pressure (also called hypertension)
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

Vietnam Era Veterans (Radiation Exposure)

Service Requirements: If you served in any of the locations during the dates listed below, it will be presumed that you had radiation exposure.

Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, from 1/1/77, through 12/31/80
Cleanup of the Air Force B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons off the coast of Palomares, Spain, 1/17/66, through 3/31/67
Response to the fire onboard an Air Force B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons near Thule Air Force Base in Greenland from 1/21/68, to 9/25/68

Extension of VA Health Care Eligibility

Veterans can enroll at any time for VA Health Care and get the care you need, but you may have to pay a partial amount (co-payment) to receive medical treatment. Apply for VA Health Care online.

Under the PACT Act, Veterans who meet the requirements below, can get free VA health care for any condition related to their service for up to 10 years from their most recent discharge or separation date. To qualify, you must have either:

Served in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or
Served in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after 11/11/98
And, you were discharged or released on or after 10/1/13

For Veterans who were discharged or released before 10/1/13, you can receive care and enroll during a special enrollment period from 10/1/22-10/1/23. To qualify you must have either:

Served in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or
Served in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after 11/11/98
And, were discharged or released between 9/11/01, and 10/1/13, and have been enrolled in VA health care before

Other Benefits

The PACT Act requires the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA Health Care, at least once every five years. This requirement should start 90 days from the enactment of the new law.

It also requires improvements in research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures.

For Veterans and Survivors

If you haven’t filed a claim yet for the presumptive condition, you can file a new claim online now. You can also file by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.

If the VA denied your disability claim in the past and now considers your condition presumptive, you can submit a Supplemental Claim. They will review your case again.

Survivors may be eligible for VA benefits based on the PACT Act. You’ll need to meet requirements for each benefit to qualify:

For questions about the PACT Act, call 800-698-2411 or visit VA.gov.

About Triage Cancer

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