Jan. 1, 2023, not only marks the start of the new year. That’s the day the Department of Veterans Affairs will begin processing PACT Act benefit claims for all veterans and their survivors.
VA sped up the timeline for many veterans to get their PACT Act benefits by several years by deciding not to phase in those benefits through 2026, as written into the legislation, and instead made all new PACT Act presumptions of exposure and service connection applicable Aug. 10.
Jan. 1, is the earliest date that VA will have both the authorities and capabilities necessary to fully process all PACT Act claims.
“We at VA are ready to process these claims and deliver PACT Act-related care and benefits to toxic exposed veterans and their survivors,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in a statement.
The PACT Act is the most significant expansion of veteran benefits and care in more than three decades. It empowered VA to help millions of toxic-exposed veterans and their survivors.
“It means access to life insurance, home loan insurance, tuition benefits, and help with healthcare. It means new facilities, improved care, more research, and increased hiring and retention of healthcare workers treating veterans,” President Joe Biden said while signing the bill into law in August.
More than 213,000 PACT Act-related claims for benefits have been submitted to VA since the bill became law. Additionally, more than 959,000 veterans have received VA’s new toxic exposure screenings, with nearly 39% reporting a concern of exposure.
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“Right now, VA is delivering more benefits, more quickly, to more Veterans than ever before – and we are ready to deliver PACT Act benefits to all veterans starting January 1,” said Josh Jacobs, senior advisor for policy, who is currently performing the delegable duties of the Under Secretary for Benefits.
To prepare for the influx of PACT Act claims, the Veterans Benefits Administration has been aggressively hiring and training staffers around the nation.
While VA did not have the capabilities to begin fully processing PACT Act claims for all Veterans until Jan. 1, 2023, VA began expediting claims for terminally ill veterans on Dec. 12 and continues to prioritize processing claims for terminally ill veterans, those with toxic-exposure-related cancers, veterans experiencing homelessness, those older than 85 years old, veterans experiencing financial hardship, and Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipients.
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If a veteran files a claim within the first year after the bill was signed into law, the effective date for benefits in most cases will be Aug. 10, 2022.
For more information about PACT Act and how to file a claim, visit here. If veterans, their families, caregivers, or survivors have questions about the PACT Act and wish to speak with someone to help, they may call 1-800-MyVA411 at any time.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.