The Marion VA Health Care System hosted a PACT Act Town Hall at the Owensboro National Guard Armory on Thursday evening. The event educated veterans, family members, and caregivers about the new law and its impact on veterans.
Keynote speaker and Marion VA Executive Director Zach Sage, along with multiple program staff, discussed the effects of the PACT Act legislation.
The speakers reiterated that the Act has no expiration date and strongly encouraged veterans to submit an “intent to file” before August 9. By doing this, the veterans are eligible for retroactive backpay for any approved claims.
“Tonight is all about connecting veterans with the services they’ve earned,” Sage said. “We’re using this event to teach veterans about the PACT Act, their eligibility, and the process they must follow. We also have partners here to teach them about our many services.”
The VA also had clinical staff on-site conducting toxic exposure screenings.
The legislation was signed into law on August 10, 2022. Sage said the upcoming August 9 deadline is crucial to ensuring Veterans don’t miss any potential benefits.
“They need to get their claims in for any kind of exposures they’ve had to burn pits or other harmful things,” he said. “Veterans that served in the Middle East, in particular, were exposed to several toxic elements because of the burn pits used to dispose of waste and other items during active duty.”
The law’s lengthier name pays homage to Heath Robinson, who died at age 39 from lung cancer. Sage said medical experts traced the cancer directly to Robinson’s time of service.
“Through years of research and process and law changes, there are 28 new conditions presumed to be service-connected,” he said. “This means if a veteran has one of these diseases and their service matches up to where they were exposed to these things, they are eligible for VA benefits.”
To learn more about the PACT Act, visit va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/.
