WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that 1 million claims for benefits have been approved in New Hampshire under a hazardous materials exposure law that Congress approved less than two years ago in response to the military’s use of open-air incinerators in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The legislation was approved with broad bipartisan support and built on years of support from veterans, their families and service organizations, and will enroll more than 145,000 people in health care services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As of May 19, the Department has received more than 10,200 claims for PACT Act benefits from Idaho, of which 6,454 claims have been approved. Idaho has 1,071 new VA health care enrollees specifically related to PACT Act authority.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough told reporters on a conference call ahead of the announcement that the legislation has made a “tangible, life-changing difference” for veterans and their families.
“This will provide veterans with more than $5.7 billion in benefits and free VA health care in all 50 states and territories,” McDonough said.
White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden said on a conference call that the legislation, known as the PACT Act, “represents the most significant expansion of benefits and services yet for veterans exposed to toxic substances, including those incinerated in incinerators and certain veterans exposed to radiation and Agent Orange.”
“This is really personal for the president, given his experience as a military parent,” Tanden said. Biden’s son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46.
According to government officials, the approval rate for PACT benefits is about 75%.
Biden made the announcement during a visit to Nashua, New Hampshire.
Incinerator exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan
Congress struggled for years to reach a compromise over when and how to provide health care and benefits to veterans exposed to open-air incinerators during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Hazardous chemicals, medical waste, batteries, and other toxic materials were disposed of in incinerators, typically located on military bases, forcing military personnel to live and work with the smoke, which they often inhaled.
The law added 23 illnesses to the list of conditions the VA presumes are service-connected, eliminating the difficult and complicated procedures many veterans had to go through to obtain medical care and benefits for those diagnoses.
Before this bill was passed, veterans often had to prove to the VA that their illness was service-connected in order to receive benefits or medical care for their illness.
U.S. Senate Voted Passed 84-14 in June 2022, the bill was sent to the House of Representatives, where it had been held up for weeks by a dispute over incentivizing health care providers to relocate to rural or hyper-regional areas.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 342 to 88. Vote In July, after that section was removed from the bill, senators Voted It passed the House by a vote of 86-11 in August, sending the bill to President Biden’s desk.
president The bill was signed During the ceremony on August 10th.
“Many of our healthiest, best warriors we send to war never come home healthy,” Biden said at the event. “Headaches, numbness, dizziness, cancer. That was my son Beau.”
VA has Interactive Dashboards Provides veterans with information on how to apply for health care and benefits under the PACT Act and the number of claims filed.
The VA has a calendar of in-person events. hereVeterans or their families can also call the VA at 800-698-2411 to inquire about PACT Act benefits.
