Birmingham VA PACT Act Open House provides information, toxic exposure screening to Veterans

During the VA PACT Act Week of Action, the Birmingham VA Health Care System joined 120 VA organizations throughout the country to offer Veterans an opportunity to speak with service representatives, enroll in VA health care and participate in toxic exposure screenings.

During the event, Montgomery Veteran Benefits Administration Regional Office representatives assisted Veterans in initiating 77 claims. BVAHCS medical personnel completed 144 toxic exposure screenings. Veterans were also able to receive flu vaccinations.

“We’re excited to host this event and have experts from several organizations here to help Alabama Veterans successfully navigate through the recently signed PACT Act,” said Dr. Rebecca Huie, BVAHCS Chief of Primary Care and event organizer. “Whether they’re here for information or to get started with their claims or screening processes, we are ready to assist them and point them in the right direction.”

Other representatives on hand to assist Veterans were members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center, BVAHCS Women’s Health Clinic, BVAHCS Social Work Service, and various Veteran Service Organizations.

For U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Terry Fellows, the event served as a means to get screened and educated.

“There are many people here with questions and needing help,” said Fellows. “My primary reason for attending today was to learn what the PACT Act is about and educate those around me, so they also know what it’s about.

What is the PACT Act?

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances.

Signed by President Joe Biden on Aug. 10, 2022, the law expands and extends eligibility for VA health care to Veterans with toxic exposures, including Veterans from the Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and Post-9/11 era.

“This is a game changer for more than a million Veterans around the country,” said Cory Hawthorne, Montgomery VBA Director. “In the past, recognized medical conditions experienced by Veterans had to be service-connected or proven that the condition started while on active duty. Some of the conditions our Veterans are experiencing have manifested years after their active-duty service. We are thrilled because these conditions will now be recognized as presumptive.”

Presumptive conditions do not require proof that the military service caused the illness. Veterans need only to meet the service requirements and have a current diagnosis of the presumptive condition.

A full list of 23 presumptive conditions, and eligible locations served, can be accessed by visiting www.va.gov/PACT.

Vietnam-era Veterans are now able to apply for two new Agent Orange presumptive conditions, Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and Hypertension (high blood pressure).

Breaking it down: What Veterans can do NOW

All Veterans enrolled in VA health care are encouraged to get screened. Currently, all screenings must be in-person. During the screening, Veterans will participate in a short 5–10-minute questionnaire to identify and document any potential exposures to toxins during military service. In some cases, a secondary follow-up may be required. Veterans should contact their VA primary care provider to schedule a screening or request a screening during any appointment.

Veterans should be aware, toxic exposure screening is not the same as submitting a claim for service-connected or presumptive condition benefits. The screening allows VA physicians to monitor a patient’s health condition and provide appropriate treatments, if necessary.

In addition to Vietnam-era Veterans, who can enroll right now, there’s a special enrollment period for Post 9/11 combat Veterans from Oct. 1, 2022, to Oct. 1, 2023.

Un-enrolled Veterans may apply online at VA.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction,  call the toll-free hotline at 877-222-8387 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST, mail a completed, signed Application for Health Benefits VA Form 10-10EZ or bring a completed, signed VA Form 10-10EZ to your nearest VA Medical Center or clinic.

Veterans eligible for benefits based on the list of 23 presumption conditions are encouraged to file a claim using VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, or if a claim was denied in the past, Veterans can submit a supplemental claim Decision Review Request using VA Form 20-0995.

Veterans not registered on www.va.gov can fill out a VA Form 21-22a, Appointment of Individual as Claimant’s Representative, and take it to any VA-accredited VSO to file a claim. Veterans may also schedule a VERA appointment at https://vets.force.com/VAVERA/s/ or call 1-800-827-1000 to have the forms mailed to them. Fill out VA Form 21-22a and return it to the Department of Veterans Affairs Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.

According to Hawthorne, VBA is working to identify Veterans previously denied for the listed presumptive conditions and contact them. Still, there is no need to wait to file a supplemental claim.

VA is prioritizing the claims of Veterans with terminal illnesses to ensure they get timely access to the care and benefits they deserve. Six regional VBA offices, including the Montgomery Regional Office, have been tasked to process those claims.

Survivors of Veterans may be eligible for VA benefits, including Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and Burial Benefits.

“The PACT Act proves that we as a nation are committed to taking care of our heroes, even after they’ve taken off the uniform,“ said Dr. Oladipo Kukoyi, BVAHCS Executive Director. “This law helps VA provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”