CLEVELAND — It’s been almost one year since President Biden signed The PACT Act into law, significantly expanding VA health care and benefits for veterans who faced toxic exposure during their service. There’s no deadline to enroll, but there is a deadline to get the benefits backdated. Veterans who apply by August 9, 2023, can have their new benefits backdated to August 10, 2022.
News 5 Anchor Rob Powers spoke with one veteran, Michael Hall, who first served in the Marine Corps for seven years with four deployments, including two in Iraq. Now Hall serves his fellow veterans as Program Manager for the Compensation and Pension Dept. at the Cleveland VA.
“This is the greatest job in the world,” he said. Right now, Hall’s mission is spreading the word about The PACT Act.
“We’re coming up on the end of the enrollment period for veterans to get enrolled for VA health care," he said.
The PACT Act adds to the list of conditions presumed to be caused by exposure to toxic substances like burn pits. Rob also spoke with Larry Zietlow, who served in the US Navy for 20 years. These days he serves the Cleveland office of the Veterans Benefits Administration and explained the parameters here.
“It’s presumed,” he said, as opposed to assumed. “What it means is that you do not have to prove that this disability was related to your military service.”
Both these veterans want to shout from the rooftops: The VA is here to help! Even if you don’t think you’re eligible, or aren’t sure, or don’t know what’s covered – just come say hello. The first step is an intake appointment, where The PACT Act now requires a toxic exposure screening.
“They’re going to ask the veteran, 'Where have you deployed? What have you been exposed to? Do you currently have any health conditions related to these exposures?' And if they do, the provider is going to give them an education and resources that they can reach out to,” Hall said.
And “presumptive” really is a key word here if you’re a veteran on the fence about whether to look into The PACT Act.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve been previously denied, because the presumptive nature of these disabilities is what’s going to get you the service connection that you deserve,” said Zietlow. The VA has been trying to reach veterans with awareness events, like a recent expo at the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo. That’s where we met Vietnam veteran Joseph Hooven. He had some concerns about his potential exposure to Agent Orange during his service on a Navy destroyer.
“I’m just hedging my bets, you know? Seeing if anything happens down the road,” he said. He got the answers he was looking for and was set for his next step – the toxic exposure screening. This expansion to the list of conditions and benefits for our veterans cannot be overstated.
“This is the largest change, Rob, in 40 years in the VA. This is huge,” Hall said. We also learned these benefits aren’t exclusive to veterans. They’re also available to their widows and children. The VA understands some have reservations about the agency itself.
“It’s a government agency, and there’s been a lot of history, some of it negative with the VA,” Hall said. “But the VA is changing, and this is one of the major changes.” All it takes is a phone call to get the ball rolling. Who knows what you might find out?
“I just had a veteran today who was complaining about a $10,000 prescription that will be covered as soon as he filed a claim for benefits. The VA will pay for it because it’s under toxic exposure,” Hall said.
You can learn more about the PACT Act and check out the updated lists of presumed conditions and eligible locations of service here.
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