Arizona veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances can file a claim for PACT Act-related disability benefits. The PACT Act expands VA health care and benefits. Vets have until Wednesday, Aug. 9, to file for the back-dated benefits.
For former Democratic lawmaker and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Mark Cardenas, the stench of a burn pit near his base in Iraq was "a smell like no other.”
"Anything that was on the base that people produce his trash was thrown in there and burned and that goes anywhere from, you know, car batteries all the way down to food waste," he said.
But it wasn’t just the smoke from the burn pit.
"Once every once every few weeks, my job was to dump a bunch of JPA — which is vehicle fuel — on top of a bunch of papers and stir it until it was all done," said Cardenas.
A few years after he returned home, Cardenas was diagnosed with severe asthma. His mediation cost more than $600 a month. When the PACT Act passed in 2022, he applied, "and I don't pay for them anymore."
The PACT Act is possibly the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history.
"According to the Arizona Department of Veterans Services, at least 13,000 veterans have applied for PACT Act benefits from Arizona so far. They say there's about an 80% approval rating. So 80% of those applicants have had their benefits approved," said Scott Borque with the organization VetsForward.
Borque says they believe there are about 200,000 veterans in Arizona that are eligible for PACT Act benefits.
What to know from the VA
The PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras.
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures.
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation.
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in VA health care.
- Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures.
Vietnam-era veteran eligibility
Based on the PACT Act, the VA has added two new Agent Orange presumptive conditions:
- High blood pressure (also called hypertension).
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.
Veterans may also be eligible for disability compensation based on other Agent Orange presumptive conditions. These conditions include certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses.
The VA has added tfive new locations to the list of presumptive locations:
- Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from Jan 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976.
- Laos from Dec. 1, 1965, through Sept. 30, 1969.
- Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969.
- Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off of Guam or American Samoa from Jan. 9, 1962, through July 31, 1980.
- Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from Jan. 1, 1972, through Sept. 30, 1977.
If a veteran served on active duty in any of these locations, the VA will automatically assume (or “presume”) that veteran had exposure to Agent Orange.
Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans
The VA has added more than 20 burn pit and other toxic exposure presumptive conditions based on the PACT Act. This change expands benefits for Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans.
These cancers are now presumptive:
- Brain cancer.
- Gastrointestinal cancer of any type.
- Glioblastoma.
- Head cancer of any type.
- Kidney cancer.
- Lymphoma of any type.
- Melanoma.
- Neck cancer of any type.
- Pancreatic cancer.
- Reproductive cancer of any type.
- Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type.
These illnesses are now presumptive:
- Asthma that was diagnosed after service.
- Chronic bronchitis.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (known as COPD).
- Chronic rhinitis.
- Chronic sinusitis.
- Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis.
- Emphysema.
- Granulomatous disease.
- Interstitial lung disease.
- Pleuritis.
- Pulmonary fibrosis.
- Sarcoidosis.
Source: The PACT Act and your VA benefits
