Aref Rahman, MD FACC, talks about his past to everyone who came out to the town hall meeting to provide updates on the PACT Act on Wednesday evening at Abie Abraham VA Health Care Center auditorium. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle

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.