JUNE 2023 UPDATE
We encourage all Veterans and survivors to file for benefits now. VBA started to process PACT Act-related benefits in January 2023. If you apply for benefits before August 10, 2023, and your claim is granted, your benefits may be backdated to the date of the bill signing.
Have you visited va.gov/PACT to see if you or your members may be eligible for medical care and disability compensation?
Did you file a previous benefits claim with VBA only to be told that certain diseases/illnesses did not qualify for service connection? Those previously denied conditions may now be service connected under the PACT Act! Veterans who have previously been denied a toxic-exposure related claim are encouraged to file a supplemental claim. The VA will then review the claim under the new law.
***
Just months after President Biden signed and enacted the PACT Act on August 10, 2022, the Department of Veteran Affairs announced that they have expanded and extended eligibility for VA health care for certain Veterans of the Gulf Wars and post-9/11 era effective Oct 1, 2022.
Now, Post-9/11 Veterans who did not previously enroll in VA health care will have a 1-year window to enroll if they:
- Served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or
- Served in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after Nov. 11, 1998, and
- Were discharged or released from active service between Sept. 11, 2001, and Oct. 1, 2013.
Veterans who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War are also now eligible for care. This includes Veterans who, in connection with service during such period, received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Service Specific Expeditionary Medal, Combat Era Specific Expeditionary Medal, Campaign Specific Medal, or any other combat theater award established by federal statute or executive order.
Click here to apply for benefits and to learn more about the PACT Act and how the new legislation will affect your VA benefits.