The PACT Act and your VA benefits | Veterans Affairs
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The PACT Act is a law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. This law helps us provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve. And starting March 5, 2024, we’re expanding VA health care to millions of Veterans—years earlier than called for by the PACT Act. This page will help answer your questions about what the PACT Act means for you or your loved ones. You can also call us at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711). And you can file a claim for PACT Act-related disability compensation or apply for VA health care now.

Hello fellow veterans! My question concerns the PACT Act, and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this?

I served during OIF from '05 - '06. I was exposed to burn pits and regularly burned things in barrels (although it was trash, not human waste or anything), however I’ve suffered zero long-term effects that I’m aware of, and it’s now been 17 years (holy shit, time flies) since then. I’m reading that veterans should apply “just because”, but I don’t want to be the person that clogs the already overburdened system, and hell, it’s been 17 years and nothing has cropped up, so I assume I’m fine.

Should I enroll even though I have no issues? It’s unclear to me if they’ll even accept a claim if someone has no issues (and why would they accept it, right?). The deadline is August 9th.

  • Nomore04@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    I’m not entirely certain, I think the Pact Act has presumptive conditions attached to it.

    If you haven’t filed, do it.

    It will get it on record where you served if something pops up later on.

    SC in the hardest thing to prove and they are trying to make this as painless as the VA can.

    These cancers are now presumptive:

    Brain cancer Gastrointestinal cancer of any type Glioblastoma Head cancer of any type Kidney cancer Lymphoma of any type Melanoma Neck cancer of any type Pancreatic cancer Reproductive cancer of any type Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

    These illnesses are now presumptive:

    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

    More can be found here https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/