PACT Act
A new law called the PACT Act just expanded VA health care and benefits for millions of Veterans and their survivors.
What is PACT Act and how does it affect you?
The PACT Act expands eligibility for VA health care to Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras. The PACT Act:
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Added more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures.
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Added more presumptive exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation.
We have information on these two changes to help you see how the PACT Act may affect your benefits.
FILE A BENEFITS CLAIM
Veterans and survivors please apply now for PACT Act benefits. For questions on
filing a claim or how to file, call 1.800.827.1000 or go online to
https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/ or schedule an online appointment at
vets.force.com/VAVERA/s. You can also contact a Veterans Service Organization
to assist with your claim.
COMPLETE A TOXIC EXPOSURE SCREEN
All enrolled Veterans will be offered this brief screen to document your concerns as
part of your health record. Screening can be performed by your Primary Care provider
during your scheduled primary care appointment. To obtain a primary care
appointment, please contact the Atlanta VA Health Care System Call Center at
404.329.2222 or reach out to your primary care provider on MyHealthEVet.
TALK TO YOUR HEALTH PROVIDER
Review your medical concerns and share any symptoms or additional information with
your healthcare provider that you feel may be related to an environmental exposure.
This is the best way to be proactive in addressing your healthcare needs and long-term
goals with exposure-informed care. If you aren’t already registered with the Atlanta VA
Health Care System, please contact VA eligibility at 1.877.222.8387 or find the location
closest to you and enroll in person https://www.va.gov/find-locations.
SIGN UP FOR A REGISTRY EXAM
VA’s Environmental health registry evaluation is a free, voluntary medical assessment
for Veterans who may have been exposed to certain environmental hazards during
military service. The evaluations alert Veterans to possible long-term health problems
that may be related to exposure to specific environmental hazards during their military
service. The registry evaluation is separate from VA’s disability compensation process
and is not required to file a disability claim. VA has six registries: Agent Orange,
Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pits, Depleted Uranium, Gulf War, Ionizing Radiation,
and Toxic Embedded Fragments. For airborne hazard and Open burn pit registry, visit
the link below to complete a questionnaire.
https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/
To review the eligibility criteria for each VA registry program, please visit
https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/benefits/registry-evaluation…
The Atlanta VA Toxic Exposure Navigators remain available to assist you with obtaining a Toxic Exposure Screening and answer questions related to the PACT Act. Please contact our team at