The White House announced Tuesday that more than 1 million claims have been awarded through the PACT Act, a landmark law passed in 2022 that gave veterans expanded access to seek compensation and relief related to toxic exposures during their service .
More than 880,000 veterans are receiving disability benefits through the PACT Act across the country and its territories, according to the White House.
President Biden is expected to formally announce the news later Tuesday at an event with veterans and their families in New Hampshire.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough said the PACT Act “helped us bring VA to vets, instead of making them change their lives to come to us.”
“Now the President has made it very clear that we at the VA have more work to do and that nothing will stop us from fulfilling our sacred obligation… to serve America's veterinarians as well as they have served us,” he said in a press conference. phone call. “We will not rest until every veteran and every survivor receives the VA health care and benefits they deserve.”
The VA has many more claims to process. Last year, veterans filed more than 2.4 million claims, a 39 percent increase from 2022, for a total of 4.17 million claims since the PACT Act was enacted.
“We are processing these claims at the fastest pace in history,” McDonough said.
The PACT Act also created $5.7 billion in earned benefits for veterans, and more than 5 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposures for free through the law.
The White House also released a specific breakdown Tuesday of the number of claims granted in each state through the PACT Act. Texas has the highest number awarded at 110,629, followed closely by Florida at 87,792 and California at 74,363.
White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden said Biden is proud of the VA's “quick actions and careful implementation” of the claims.
“The PACT Act changes the way we serve toxic-exposed veterans,” she said in a press call. “This is truly personal for the president given his experiences as a military parent.”
Military service can increase health risks because service members may come into contact with toxins from burns and other toxic exposures while on duty or in training. But because serious diseases like cancer can take years to develop, it can be difficult for a veteran to connect care to the disease.
However, the PACT Act made it easier to bring claims by presuming a veteran came into contact with toxins while in service, easing the burden of proof for those seeking medical care.
It also extended these services for the first time to the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the post-September 11 war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In March, the VA announced that millions more veterans would be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care for toxic exposures without having to first apply for VA benefits, cutting the time to wait on claim exemption will be shortened by a maximum of eight years.
A senior government official said the conditions and diseases covered under the PACT Act so far include bronchial asthma, hypertension and sinusitis. The White House also said in a fact sheet that it is prioritizing cancer with the PACT Act.
The PACT Act is having a major impact in the VA. More than 440,000 veterans enrolled in VA health care last year, a 30 percent increase year over year. The VA has expanded its workforce to meet demand.
“The bottom line is we're bringing in more veterans,” the official said. “We're giving them the care they deserve. And they're currently reporting a trust level in the outpatient arena of almost 92 percent, which is the highest ever.”
