Starting Jan. 1, the VA will start processing claims under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
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- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough explains that the PACT ACT makes it so veterans who served in Southwest Asia, were exposed to toxins and have certain conditions will be assumed to have gotten said condition while serving oversees. This means the veterans will qualify for benefits and care.
- The VA is now resolving more claims in a year than ever before, he said.
- The overturning of Roe v. Wade created a “health emergency” for women receiving care at the VA, according to McDonough, and the VA will be providing abortion counseling and services in some narrow cases
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 10: (L-R) U.S. President Joe Biden, Danielle Robinson, widow of Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough walk through the Cross Hall to the East Room for a signing ceremony for The PACT Act at the White House August 10, 2022 in Washington, DC. The bill is the biggest expansion of veteran's benefits since the Agent Orange Act of 1991 and will expand health care benefits to millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 04: Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough testifies before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction on Capitol Hill, May 04, 2022 in Washington, DC. McDonough testified on the fiscal year 2023 budget request and advance appropriations requests for fiscal year 2024 for the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - NOVEMBER 11: President Joe Biden, right, with Major Gen. Allan Pepin, Commanding General of Joint Task Force National Capital Region and Military District of Washington, left, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, pause after placing a wreath during a centennial ceremony for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington National Cemetery, on November 11, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier the sacred plaza of the memorial is being open to the public this week. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 03: Homeless U.S. military veterans receive information on free government services at a "Stand Down" event hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs on November 3, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. A week ahead of Veterans Day, more than 500 homeless veterans were expected to attend the event, where they received free medical care, winter clothing, employment assistance and were able to see a judge to resolve legal issues, among other services. Organizers say the homeless veterans population has surged in recent years with the high national unemployment rate. Stand Down is a military term that means a temporary stop of offensive military action. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
SEE ALSO | Mission of VA Office of Women’s Health
