Claims Made By August 9 Can Receive Benefits Backdated To When The Bill Was Signed
LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the bipartisan Honoring Our Pact Act becoming law, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) urged all eligible veterans suffering from toxic exposure to file a claim ahead of the August 9th deadline to receive retroactive benefits backdated to the bill’s signing. This bipartisan law has extended Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits to veterans suffering from a wide range of illnesses, injuries, and disabilities as a result of exposure to toxins such as Agent Orange in Vietnam, burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, or other chemical or radiation exposures in places where veterans have served.
“I was immensely proud to help pass the bipartisan PACT Act one year ago to make sure every Nevada veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other harmful chemicals can finally access the benefits and health care they deserve,” said Senator Rosen. “PACT Act claims made by August 9th can receive up to a year of backdated compensation to when this bill was signed into law, and I encourage every eligible veteran in Nevada to file theirs as soon as possible. I will continue working every day to support Nevada’s veteran community”
The Rosen-backed Honoring Our PACT Act has:
- Expanded VA health care eligibility to all Post-9/11 veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances, which includes more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans;
- Created a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure;
- Added 23 toxic exposure-related conditions to the VA’s list of service-connected presumptions;
- Expanded presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure and the locations where exposure may have occurred during the Vietnam War;
- Strengthened federal research on toxic exposure;
- Improved VA’s resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans; and
- Set the VA and veterans up for success by investing in VA claims processing, the VA’s workforce, and VA health care facilities.
Any veteran concerned they may have been exposed to toxins during their service can get help by visiting a local VA facility, calling the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-800-698-2411, or by filing a claim online at www.VA.gov.
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