Butler VA fields questions from veterans about PACT Act
CENTER TWP — Many veterans exposed to toxins such as Agent Orange during the Vietnam War or burn pits during more recent wars have submitted disability-related health insurance claims, according to Jennifer Vandermolen, the director of the Pittsburgh Regional Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Vandermolen spoke to more than a dozen veterans, family members, administrators and care providers Wednesday at the Abie Abraham VA Health Care Center about the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, which aims to improve that picture.
Attendees at the meeting asked about ways the legislation could help them during a question-and-answer session, followed by one-on-one exchanges between administrators and community members after the meeting.
The law, passed by Congress in August, works to expand access to financial compensation and insurance coverage for veterans who’ve submitted claims of disability-related health insurance claims.
The bill, aimed at Vietnam veterans as well as veterans exposed in more recent wars, marks the best change that’s happened for veterans for the last several years, said Butler VA Health Care director Sharon Coyle. It certainly marks the best change during Coyle’s own career with the VA, she said.
“Since Aug. 10, we received 904,000 claims for disability or increases in disability evaluation, and of those, 260,000 are related to the PACT Act,” Vandermolen said.
Veteran Walter Zimmerman faced exposure to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam, and several peers from his unit have since developed liver and other health problems, Zimmerman said after the meeting.
So far he’s been fortunate, although he’s biding his time as a he watches for problems to turn up on medical evaluations at any time, he said.
Zimmerman, along with his wife, Dolores, happened to visit the clinic for an appointment of his and decided to stay a little later for the chance to meet with clinic staff.
“It’s really worth it to meet some of the people who are managing the VA here in Butler, because you don’t see them,” Zimmerman said.
He said he has hypertension, or high blood pressure. This condition could allow for veterans to receive recognition for disability through the PACT Act, Vandermolen said during the meeting.
“The most important changes to note, they added two conditions related to Agent Orange exposure — hypertension (high blood pressure) and MGUS,” Vandermolen said.
MGUS, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, is a condition characterized by an abnormal protein in the blood that affects plasma cells but generally does not result in symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.
To determine if a veteran’s injury or illness is related to military service, veterans need to prove a diagnosed disability, a separate injury or illness from service and then a connection or link between the two, Vandermolen said after the meeting.
The PACT Act eliminated the requirement for proof of a link, so now veterans need to document only one presumptive condition, such as cancer or respiratory problems, Vandermolen said. They also need to prove that they served at a particular time and place, during which they would have been exposed to certain toxins, she said.
“If a veteran files a claim, and is entitled to compensation benefits, it’s a monthly benefit,” Vandermolen said. “It’s tax free. They can be awarded anywhere from 10% to 100%, depending on the disability and the combination of disabilities.”
Vandermolen also said the PACT Act paved the way for a brand new life insurance program, called Whole Life, which will allow veterans to draw from a wider range of insurance options, she said.
This insurance program, which guarantees acceptance for all veterans under age 80 with a disability rating of 0% to 100%, opened for new applicants in January, according to Benefits.gov. There is no time limit for applying.
