THE PACT ACT: LOOKING AT THE PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES SINCE ITS INCEPTION
There are a lot of Veterans suffering from various diseases, some of which were acquired during service. That's why the PACT Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022; with its approval, it provides a lot of benefits to Vets with qualifying services going back to the 1960s. Representative Mark Takano introduced the program in June 2021 to further help service members. The PACT Act bill expands the coverage of VA benefits and health care for those who are exposed to various toxins such as Agent Orange or burn pits. This law is helping provide generations of Veterans with the medical attention they need.
What Is the Pact Act for Veterans?
This is the largest assistance provider of the VA service in terms of benefits and health care. With its comprehensive coverage, it aims to expand and extend the eligibility for VA health care for Vets with exposure to toxins during the Gulf War, post-9/11 eras, and the Vietnam War. The PACT Act bill adds more than 20 assumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic-related exposures. With the toxins involved, this law will require the VA to provide toxic exposure tests to Veterans in VA health care. Lastly, with its creation, the PACT Act for Veterans helps improve research, treatment, and staff education on toxic exposures. Its benefits seem promising, and it has much to deliver to help provide better healthcare.
The Pact Act After 2 Years
After a service member comes home, they might have also taken home toxins that will appear after a few years. Some Vets will suffer through it for a lifetime. These are the toxins that most troops touch or breathe in during deployment. They will develop into a severe or even deadly illness, which is the permanent effect of the cost of war. Despite this, there is still hope; in the recent speech of President Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, he mentioned that the PACT Act for Veterans had played a vital role in the lives of Veterans and their families during the last two years. But its full potential may not yet be known to others for years to come, providing financial aid. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, more Vets might be enrolled in the program in the future. Since its inception, the department has approved over 1 million disability claims totaling around $6.8 billion in payouts, and more than half of these claims were approved after August 2023. As per enrollment, there were around 740,000 Veterans in VA health care under the new PACT Act eligibility that took effect in August 2022. The broad success of the PACT Act is because of the public. They kept pushing to get the word out on the part of advocates, lawmakers, and federal offices. VA officials promised to continue to work hard and keep the good numbers in the future. Along with its success are some dissatisfied Veterans; some say that the screening is unclear.
The Improper Handling of Funds Will Continue to Have an Impact
Then there is the issue of the improper handling of around $10.8 million funds of the PACT Act that are used to increase the salary of senior executives in the VA Central Office in Washington. Another issue the department faced was the $15 billion shortfall in the department's health care and benefits accounts. This was an issue that the department hid from the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee for months. This could have a huge negative effect on all Vets, especially those depending on the PACT Act bill.The intention of the law is to provide support for those people who nearly lost their lives in protecting the country and making the nation safe. So, they must address these issues, and the department needs to ensure that it will not happen again. Congress and the Veteran community have made a lot of effort to ensure that all those toxins exposed receive what is due for them. But, with the department's fast actions in resolving the problem, the PACT Act for Veterans will continue to thrive in supporting those in need.Suggested reads: