#Federal #Law #Expands #Benefits #Veterans #Exposed
Belleville, Illinois, Aug. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — President Joe Biden has signed into law the bipartisan Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, expanding healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits during their military service. PACT acknowledges that the burn pit exposure has resulted in more than 20 toxic-exposure related conditions, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) representation and veterans disability appeal services.
Considered to be perhaps the largest healthcare and benefits expansion for veterans from the Gulf War era and those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the law designates the medical conditions as “presumptive.” A presumptive condition does not require proof that military service caused the condition, only service in countries where burn pits were used.
“This is a major step in recognizing the serious illnesses and life-altering conditions veterans are facing after long-term exposure to burn pits while serving, said Brett Buchanan, director, Allsup Veterans Disability Appeal Services®.
“Now that the PACT Act has been signed into law, the next phase begins of drafting and finalizing key regulations,” Buchanan added. Once the regulations have been established and the law is enacted, 13 toxic-exposure related conditions will be recognized immediately, including:
- Asthma
- Brain cancer
- Chronic rhinitis
- Chronic sinusitis
- Constricive bronchiolities or obliterative bronchiolitis
- Emphysema
- Glioblastoma
- Granulomatous disease
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pleuritis
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Respiratory cancer
- Sarcoidosis
“However, the remaining presumptive conditions will be phased in over the next few years starting in October 2023 through 2026. Even with the addition of these 20 presumptive conditions resulting from burn pit and toxic exposures, the effective dates of claims will be subject to the new Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations,” Buchanan…
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