HAMPTON, Va. — The Department of Veterans Affairs has now approved more than one million toxic exposure claims related to the "Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson PACT Act," signed into law 22 months ago.
On Tuesday in New Hampshire, President Joe Biden discussed a key recent expansion to the act.
"It expands eligibility for VA health care," he said. "Today, toxic-exposed veterans who served in any conflict, not just the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, can enroll."
The disability claims are related to injuries from military carcinogenic toxins from burn pit smoke and the chemical defoliant Agent Orange. As many as one in five veterans living in America today could be eligible for disability or health care benefits because of the legislation.
So far, the VA has paid out more than $5.7 billion in earned PACT Act-related benefits to nearly 890,000 veterans and survivors through the claims. Hampton VA Medical Center Executive Director Dr. Taquisa Simmons said hitting the one million mark is an amazing achievement.
"I'm ecstatic. And it's really about serving our nation's heroes," she said in an interview with 13News Now.
Simmons continued: "It's really about making sure people have the information, that they understand what they're entitled to and providing that benefit. I'm ecstatic. One million is absolutely astonishing to hear about."
In a statement, House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) said:
“We passed my historic Honoring our PACT Act less than two years ago, so I am thrilled that one million veterans and their survivors have already been able to receive the benefits they have earned. We have a sacred obligation to pay for all costs of war, including supporting veterans when they come home. The Honoring our PACT Act does just that by making the connection between service to our country and certain illnesses, allowing veterans to receive care and benefits faster than ever."