Louisville VA Health Care System Launches Monthly PACT Act Information Meetings

Passed in July, the PACT Act extends eligibility to Veterans with toxic exposures from the Vietnam, Gulf War and Post-9/11 eras while expanding eligibility for benefits for those exposed to toxic substances. It represents the largest expansion of VA benefits since the Post-9/11 GI Bill was enacted in 2008.

Thursday’s meeting is a follow-up to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) nationwide PACT Act awareness campaign rollout that aimed to help introduce the new law to Veterans.

“After a great reception from our PACT Act Awareness Event in December, we immediately saw the need for monthly PACT Act meetings across the region,” said Dr. Beverly Frye, chief of compensation and pension. “There is a huge information gap that exists for our Veterans on what the PACT Act provides. Getting to interface with our Veterans in a public setting greatly reduces potential confusion and misinformation about this law, and more importantly, enables our Veterans to access the benefits they deserve.”

Among the nearly 60 Veterans in attendance on Thursday was Dr. Shirley Meredith and her retired military working dog, UUmbro.

Following a neck injury during her time in the Air Force as a flight surgeon, Meredith now deals with chronic neck pain in addition to respiratory issues from her time served. According to Meredith, she rescued UUmbro –  12-year-old Belgian Malinois with a career in patrol, apprehension and narcotic detection in the Air Force –  to provide her with gait imbalance assistance as her constant companion.

“In some ways, we have both rescued each other,” Meredith stated. “While Uumbro helps me maintain my balance, I was lucky enough to rescue him after 10 years of service with the Air Force and numerous deployments where he ultimately faced euthanasia. UUmbro helps me immensely with my mobility, and my hope is that the PACT Act will similarly address the respiratory issues I have from my time as a flight surgeon. I am also in attendance tonight to ensure that the Veteran community doesn’t forget the trauma that military service dogs like Uumbro face. We’ve both given a lot to our country, and it’s important that his service to our country is recognized, too.”    

The Robley Rex VAMC has screened nearly 1,100 patients since last fall. In order to reach the 3.5 million additional Veterans that are now covered under the PACT Act, Frye insists that the VA must reach out to those who are not enrolled in the VA.

“Our first monthly PACT Act Information Meeting was a great first step in this education campaign,” Frye stated. “This law is truly transformational, but we have a long way to go to reach every Veteran deserving of this expanded coverage. Even if it’s one Veteran at a time, I look forward to working tirelessly to make this goal happen.”

While Meredith is already enrolled in the VA, she was appreciative of the VA’s public meeting to help her learn more about potential benefits owed to her.

“Having the opportunity to speak with Dr. Frye and representatives from the Veterans Benefits Administration in one location is very convenient. The information provided was very helpful, and I appreciated the VA leading this important discussion.”  

To find out upcoming PACT Act Information Meeting dates, visit our website. For more information on the PACT Act, visit VA.gov.

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