WWII veteran from Kingman County was in Tokyo Bay for Japanese surrender
10 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Veterans who missed their chance to sign up for backdated PACT Act benefits now have until midnight on Monday, Aug. 14.
PACT stands for Promise to Address Comprehenvise Toxics. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas pushed for its passage. It was signed into law one year ago.
“The PACT Act transformed how the VA provides health care and benefits to toxic-exposed veterans and conducts research on the effects of toxic exposure,” Moran said in a news release.
The original deadline for veterans to sign up for backdated benefits through the PACT Act was Aug. 9. But the VA said a flood of claims over the last two days slowed down the website.
Click here to apply for PACT Act benefits.
“I’m pleased thousands of Kansas veterans who were exposed to harmful toxins during their military service have applied for and been awarded disability benefits following the passage of this law and are newly eligible to receive needed health care services from VA,” Moran said.
“Many of them have said that they finally feel seen and heard because of the PACT Act, and now we’re able to again position ourselves to provide them the benefit they’ve earned … give them that access to that health care they really need,” Terrence Hayes, the national VA spokesperson, said.
He said the PACT Act could potentially help more than 4 million people, but as of three days ago, only about 843,000 had filed claims.
Hayes said veterans with a distinct cancer or terminal illness will get processed faster.
To learn more about the PACT Act, click here.