Military veterans in Alabama have a deadline regarding their health care. Washington is signing up former members of the Armed Forces for what’s called the PACT Act. It offers health benefits for Vets who were exposed to chemical hazards like burn pits and Agent Orange. The deadline to sign up is today. Richard Duncan of Tuscaloosa served in the U.S. Army during the Iraq War in 2003. He says he remembers the burn pits and the way they smelled…
“Everything in family had to burn they burned right there. Constant black smoke. It burns everything,” Duncan recalled. “Tires, fuel, computers, trash. They burned everything that could be burned in the burning pit.”
The VA says medical conditions like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes* may be related to chemical exposure. The list of hazards includes Agent Orange during the Vietnam war and burn pits that were used during the Iraq War. The PACT Act also requires research into the mortality of Veteran serving in Southeast Asia during the Gulf War. The VA will also gauge health trends and the incidence of cancer among Vets in Alabama and elsewhere. Terrence Hayes is with the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C. He says Vets in Alabama may notice a change in how VA deals with former members of the military…
“And this is the new VA. This VA is coming to our veterans. No longer are we requiring our veterans to come to us,” Hayes observed. “It should have always been that way. But again, we're trying our hardest to get this information out to them as soon as possible.”
Veterans lined up at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center recently for a “health carnival” that includes an opportunity to sign up for the PACT Act. The process includes health screenings to confirm that the health of each veteran was impacted by hazards under the measure. This week's deadline is for Vets who want their benefits to occur retroactively to when the PACT Act was signed. Former members of the military who sign up after today will be eligible from that date going forward.
