TVHS Hosts PACT Act event in Chattanooga

    “The Chattanooga VA PACT Act Veterans Resource Fair was an event designed to connect Veterans with VA programs and services and assist with Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) benefit claims,” said Joshua Cox, PACT Act public affairs specialist with TVHS.

    The PACT Act is a law passed in August 2022 that expands and extends VA health care eligibility for Veterans with toxic exposures – often with Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras.

    “This law helps us provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve,” said Cox. “The PACT Act adds more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits, agent orange, and other toxic exposures. Additionally, the Act authorizes 31 new medical facilities across the country, and helps VA improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures.”

    To help communicate the new benefits available to Veterans, representatives like Cox have held PACT Act outreach events. These multi-tiered events promote the new benefits available to Veterans and their families, like Caregiver Support Program, Suicide Prevention Team, and more.

    “Chattanooga is a growing area for the Veteran population. It is so important for us to be face-to-face with Veterans to relay information regarding PACT and correct any misinformation,” said Shelly Peterson, assistant veterans service center manager with the Nashville Regional Office.

    Part of informing Veterans on the updates to their benefits is providing the updated details on a regular basis and in direct formats.

“Any time our agency can meet one-on-one with Veterans is important as they obtain a true sense of our commitment,” she said.

For Katrina Foster, a health benefits assistant with TVHS, she understands the importance of having a PACT Act outreach event. She has worked at the Chattanooga VA Clinic and directly with the Veterans in this area.

“The PACT Act outreach was very needed in Chattanooga. We serve many Veterans at the clinic on a daily basis,” said Foster. “To have Veterans able to attend and work with VA benefits representatives without a scheduled appointment is a great thing.”

According to Cox, more than 80 Veterans attended the four-hour-long outreach event, with VBA assisting more than 35 during that time. Additionally, five Veterans enrolled in VA health care, and even more requested phone calls and forms from VA to help them complete their enrollment and claims.

“The community was very receptive and pleased seeing the Department of Veteran Affairs show support for them and their needs,” said Foster.

This is the second PACT Act event coordinated by Cox and TVHS in fiscal year 2024, with the first occurring in Cookeville in November. Cox said it’s critical to conduct PACT Act outreach events to increase enrollment in VA health care and connect Veterans and their families with their potential benefits.

“The PACT Act outreach events are very important because many Veterans are not aware of the PACT Act legislation and the benefits they have earned and deserve,” Cox said. “I talk to a lot of Veterans who filed a claim two or three years ago for health conditions related to exposure to burn pits and toxic exposures – several years ago, those claims may have been denied, but under the new PACT Act, more Veterans than ever are eligible for benefits and health care.”

For more information on VA PACT Act and more details on benefits available to Veterans and their families, please visit www.va.gov/PACT.