Veterans exposed to toxins, like Agent Orange, face deadline for benefits. Here’s how to sign up

Grace Scullion
·4 min read
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North Highlands resident Ericka Butler served in the Navy for four years and the Air Force Reserve for six. Stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, she worked in one of the largest Navy shipyards in the country.

“They used to have us paint the ship like every three months and it was that lead-based gray paint,” she said.

Butler is one of the 3.5 million estimated veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals, radiation, burn pits and other dangerous chemical hazards while serving their country. The Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, signed into law a year ago provides expanded health care coverage and monetary benefits to veterans likely exposed.

Veterans have until Aug. 9 apply to receive the backdated benefits, or those owed in the year since the act’s passage.

Here’s what you need to know about the PACT Act and how to apply:

Who can receive benefits from the PACT Act?

Any veteran who believes they were exposed to toxic substances, like Agent Orange, radiation or burn pits while in service can apply. Surviving minor children and spouses of veterans who died from service-related disease can receive compensation, too, according to Rochelle Arnold, a Sacramento County Veterans Service Officer.

“If veterans aren’t sure if they are eligible, they should still submit an application for review,” Arnold said. Even veterans who previously were denied disability benefits should apply, she said, because the PACT Act expanded who receives disability coverage.

Those diagnosed with certain conditions will automatically receive the expanded benefits after they apply, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

For those who served in post-9/11 wars, those conditions include:

  • Asthma

  • Chronic bronchitis

  • Many common types of cancer

  • Emphysema

  • Pulmonary fibrosis

For those who served in the Vietnam War, those conditions include:

  • High blood pressure (hypertension)

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Certain cancers

  • Hypothyroidism

  • Parkinson’s disease

If a veteran served in certain locations during certain years, they are also automatically covered by the PACT Act. Those details can be found on the VA’s website.

What benefits does the PACT Act provide?

Veterans determined to have been exposed to toxic hazards, or to have one of the associated diseases, can qualify for VA health care or new or increased monetary payments, according to Travis Horne, communications director for Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove.

Disability payments are determined by a veteran’s disability rating and whether they have a dependent spouse, child or parent. A PACT Act claim can lead to a higher rating.

Monthly payments can range from $165 to over $4,000 per month, depending on a veteran’s disability rating and their number of dependents, according to the VA.

What are burn pits? Agent Orange?

In Iraq and Afghanistan, military operations often disposed of trash and waste by burning it in open pits. Many service members who breathed the fumes produced by these burn pits developed health consequences. An estimated 3.5 million veterans may have been affected by burn pit smoke and fumes, according to the Department of Defense. The VA has launched research to study the exact effects.

Agent Orange was an herbicide used in Vietnam. It has been linked to cancer, birth defects, and other diseases. Any veteran who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 is presumed to have been exposed, according to the VA.

Can children or spouses of deceased veterans receive compensation?

Minor children and spouses of deceased veterans can receive compensation, according to Rochelle Arnold, a Sacramento County Veterans Service Officer. People who believe their spouses may have died from service-related diseases, like cancer, heart disease or Parkinson’s, should consult a Veterans Service Officer. Death & marriage certificates

What is the ‘intent to file’?

The intent to file form gives veterans a year to gather information and see a doctor to submit an official claim, said Arnold. Those who file it by the Aug. 9 deadline will have one year to submit an official claim to get all monetary benefits owed to them since 2022.

When is the PACT Act deadline?

Veterans have until Aug. 9, 2023, to submit an intent to file form to claim benefits they would have received in the year since the law went into effect.

There is no deadline to file a PACT Act claim for benefits going forward, however.

Where do I apply?

Veterans in the Sacramento area can apply in person at the Sacramento Veterans Center or online. Arnold encourages veterans to reach out to veteran service officers for free assistance.

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, the Sacramento County Veterans Service Office will be open to help veterans file PACT Act intent to file forms and claims.