Plog Number 52
The Office of Veterans Affairs
Hello, ploggers, how are you all. I am hanging on and moving forward on a day to day, minute to minute basis. They say that worrying about the past is depressing. Worrying about the future is anxiety producing. Being in the future is hard enough so stay in that lane. I have been on the phone with the VA office trying to secure financial aid for my daughter’s college tuition. I spoke with a very nice and competent woman today and she steered me to one of their websites. Unfortunately the website is down right now but I will keep checking back, on her advice. While on the website I found a banner that said “The PACT act and your benefits”. So in I went.
I was pleased to see how informative, inclusive and real the information is on the site. They talk about “presumptive conditions” and list exactly what they are. The list includes 20 conditions related to being exposed to burn pits. They use broad language like “gastrointestinal cancer OF ANY TYPE”, Respiratory breathing related cancer OF ANY TYPE, reproductive cancer OF ANY TYPE, and asthma that was diagnosed AFTER SERVICE. They list countries where service is included in the presumptive conditions. The 16 countries listed also include the airspace above them. They also encourage everyone to apply no matter your separation date. It even has a section devoted to Agent Orange. That section extends benefits to veterans involved in service in Cambodia, Thailand, Guam and American Samoa. The time frame for this goes back as far as 1962. That is very, very inclusive and it states several times in the website that these benefits are all due to the PACT Act. Some of us have known Vietnam Veterans who are long deceased from Agent Orange. I had a cousin (Pricey Lightfoot) who died of Agent Orange years ago. His skin was actually discolored orange. I don’t know how much support he received from the VA. But the inclusion of this Vietnam War ailment in the 2022 act hints that it was not supported before. I cannot imagine going to war, coming home with Agent Orange and there being no mechanism to get immediate VA quality medical help from the country that sent you there in the first place. This law is so overdue, that for many it will be obsolete.
This is all good news for Injured Vets. When my husband went into the VA system for care, it was not an open door type of deal for him or us. It was lengthy, intrusive and seemed stacked against us. He eventually got the benefits and they were a lifesaver for him. He was fortunate to have had a medical record from the service that included his present complaint. Once that was discovered there was a clear tie and probable cause that his current condition started while he was in the service. Without that he would have been turned down. Today thanks to the PACT Act Veterans will not have nearly as high a hurdle to clear to get benefits. The legislation was massive and had immediate effect. For those senators who voted against it and “High Fived” its initial defeat, I say Hooey on you. Shame on you too!
It is nice to see a law become a reality for its targeted population, especially when it happens in short order. I think I had gotten so cynical that I didn’t even believe it would ever happen. Thumbs up to The Pact Act and all who supported it. RECLAIM!