PACT Act: 5 New Benefits Veterans Should Know About

Veterans are familiar with sacrifice. Many people who served in the U.S. armed forces spent time away from their families and some even risked their lives. Those who were exposed to toxic substances during their service may now have ongoing considerations about their health and medical bills.

Considered one of the largest expansions of healthcare benefits in U.S. history, the PACT Act aims to simplify the process of providing help to veterans. The new law — formally the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 — makes benefits available to many veterans who were exposed to hazardous materials such as burn pits and Agent Orange.

This law offers a new avenue for disability compensation to veterans as well as payments to survivors of veterans who had toxic exposures while serving.

If you qualify for these benefits, file as soon as possible because a backlog is expected.

What is the PACT Act?

The PACT Act expands healthcare benefits for veterans who may have been exposed to toxic materials while on active duty. Toxic exposures can have harmful consequences, contributing to respiratory conditions and certain cancers. Named for Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, a combat medic who died of lung cancer in 2020 at age 39, the act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022. The legislation was celebrated as the largest expansion of VA healthcare in three decades.

How does the 2022 PACT Act affect VA benefits?

The PACT Act makes it easier for veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins to qualify for free healthcare and financial benefits.

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The PACT Act offers five new benefits. This new law:

• Expands VA healthcare

• Adds coverage for a longer list of presumptive conditions

• Adds more presumptive exposure locations for Agent Orange

• Mandates toxic exposure screenings

• Establishes a department for toxic exposure research

We discuss more about each new benefit below.

Expands VA healthcare

Thanks to the PACT Act, more veterans will be eligible for free healthcare from the VA. Now, benefits will be extended to veterans with toxic exposures and those who served during the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras.

There are requirements to determine eligibility. Even if you’re a veteran who is not sure you meet the requirements, the VA encourages you to apply for benefits under the PACT Act.

For instance, most post-9/11 veterans who are eligible were discharged or released on or after October 1, 2013. The PACT Act extends the time post-9/11 combat veterans have to enroll in VA healthcare from 5 to 10 years after discharge. But, if you were discharged or released before October 1, 2013 and meet certain conditions, there is a 1-year special enrollment period from October 1, 2022 and October 1, 2023.

Adds coverage for more presumptive conditions

If a veteran has a health condition caused by their service, they may be eligible for free healthcare and disability benefits. The VA assigns a disability rating based on the severity of the condition. That rating determines the amount of a veteran’s monthly disability benefits.

Typically, a veteran with diagnosed conditions had to prove service connections with paperwork and exams. However, the PACT Act’s presumptive conditions will assume that these illnesses were caused by a toxic exposure while serving.

The PACT Act lists more than 20 presumptive conditions including a dozen cancers and other respiratory illnesses linked to burn pit exposures. These conditions include:

• Brain cancer

• Kidney cancer

• Pancreatic cancer

• Asthma diagnosed after service

• Melanoma

• Chronic rhinitis

• Chronic sinusitis

• Emphysema

• Sarcoidosis

If you served in certain locations during specified periods, the VA will assume you were exposed to burn pits or other toxins. You have a presumed exposure if you served on or after September 11, 2001 in any of these locations:

• Afghanistan

• Djibouti

• Egypt

• Jordan

• Lebanon

• Syria

• Uzbekistan

• Yemen

• Airspace above any of the named locations

Likewise, you have a presumed exposure if you served on or after August 2, 1990 in any of these locations:

• Bahrain

• Iraq

• Kuwait

• Oman

• Qatar

• Saudi Arabia

• Somalia

• United Arab Emirates

• Airspace above any of the named locations

Adds more presumptive exposure locations for Agent Orange

The PACT Act also lists two new presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange, a herbicide mixture used during the Vietnam War. The two conditions are:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)

• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

The PACT Act also adds several new locations where veterans will have a presumption of exposure to Agent Orange:

• Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962 through June 30, 1976

• Laos from December 1, 1965 through September 30, 1969

• Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969 through April 30, 1969

• Guam or American Samoa or the territorial waters off the coast of Guam or American Samoa from January 9, 1962 through July 31, 1980

• Johnston Atoll or on a ship that docked at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972 through September 30, 1977

Mandates toxic exposure screenings

The PACT Act requires the VA to give any veteran enrolled in VA healthcare a 5-minute toxic exposure screening. Screenings will help the VA determine the scale of health concerns due to toxic exposures.

Established a department for toxic exposures research

Much is still unknown about all the ways toxic exposures can affect a person. The PACT Act requires the VA to set up studies that will add to the body of knowledge about toxic exposure. The law also requires the establishment of a working group to create a 5-year strategic plan for further research.

Does the PACT Act grant benefits other than healthcare?

Yes. You may be eligible for PACT Act-related disability compensation.

Does the PACT Act grant benefits to relatives of veterans?

Yes. Surviving family members may be entitled to payments under the PACT Act. If you are a surviving spouse, dependent child, or parent of a veteran who died from a service-connected disability, you may be entitled to:

• A monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payment

• A one-time accrued benefits payment for unpaid money owed to the veteran at the time of death

If you are a surviving spouse or child of a veteran with wartime service, you may be eligible for a survivor's pension.

Surviving relatives also may qualify for other resources such as:

• Burial benefits at the resting place

• Burial allowance for burial and funeral costs (includes a veteran’s surviving partner)

• Education and training

• VA-backed home loan (surviving spouse of a veteran)

Can you file a new PACT Act claim if your condition is now considered presumptive?

If you've previously had a claim denied but now your condition is considered presumptive, you can file a supplemental claim. This adds new evidence that may affect your case during another VA review.

Where can I get help if I have questions?

If you have questions about your eligibility for the PACT Act or need assistance to apply, contact My VA 411 at 800-698-2411. By January 2023, VA officials expect to have a call center and network of experts to help veterans concerned about environmental exposures.

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Written by:

Tamara E. Holmes

Tamara E. Holmes is a Washington, DC-based freelance journalist and content strategist who has been writing about personal finance, health, and health insurance for more than a decade. Her work has appeared in various print and online publications, such as USA Today, AARP, Working Mother, and Diversity Woman.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

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