Press Releases

Chester, PA  – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) is urging Pennsylvania veterans and their survivors who may be eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care benefits under the historic PACT Act of August 2022 to file or submit an intent to file before Wednesday, August 9 to preserve eligibility for retroactive benefits back to the law’s enactment.

The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act is one of the largest VA health care and benefit expansions ever. It:

• Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care to certain diseases linked to exposures to toxins during service in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars and post-9/11 era, as well as in nuclear testing.
• Adds over twenty presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures.
• Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation.
• Requires the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in VA health care.
• Helps improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures.

There is no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, but if a veteran files a PACT Act claim – or quickly submits an intent to file – by August 9, they may receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022, when the bill was enacted.

“I proudly voted to pass the PACT Act last Congress to keep the sacred promise we make to our veterans by addressing the full cost of war,” said Rep. Scanlon. “To get the benefits they have earned and deserve, I urge eligible veterans to file or submit their intent to file by August 9 to ensure they receive their benefits.”

To file a benefits claim or find more information, veterans can visit VA.gov/pact or call 1-800-698-2411 (TTY: 711). Staff from Rep. Scanlon’s office can also assist with VA-related issues and can be contacted at 610-626-2020. 

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