Back in August, I shared a post to the Phillips Loop Facebook page regarding the PACT Act. According to the Veterans’ Affairs, The PACT Act is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history. The full name of the law is The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
Veterans had until August to register/add PACT Act conditions to their VA records. Prior to the implementation of the PACT Act, veterans had to jump through a ton of hurdles to be added to the burn pit registry.
The PACT Act is a one stop shop, if you are a veteran and have been exposed to any of the following:
– Open burn pits and other airborne hazards (sand and other particulates).
– Radiation (friendly or foreign)
– Gulf War-related exposures
– Agent Orange
– Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure
Now that I have given you a brief background on the PACT Act, here’s a synopsis of my experience.
I submitted a claim through the VA app for presumptive conditions which started while I was deployed to Qatar and Iraq. The conditions included asthma, sinusitis, allergies, and sleep apnea. All of these were in my records so they were coded as increases. I received a VA appointment at QTC medical in Lawton, Oklahoma for early September. The QTC appointment took less than 30 minutes. The worst part was blowing I. The tune for the allergy test.
During the same time, I received a PACT Act questionnaire in the mail from the OKC VA System. The questionnaire wanted specific information about the deployments…units assigned, location name, dates assigned, and any additional information not captured in my VA records. I completed the forms and returned them by late September.
The VA decision letter for the claims mentioned above was mailed two months later, in late November. The sinusitis and allergies ratings stayed the same while the sleep apnea with asthma was decreased by 10%. This took me for a loop because I immediately thought I would receive less compensation from the VA. As a veteran who is listed at 100%, the 10% decrease to my overall rating could have resulted in a significant reduction in monthly pay.
The letter assured me that there would not be any reduction to the monthly compensation amount. It was only meant to be for “informational” purposes.
Fast forward to early January. I received a call from OKC VA to schedule the PACT Act exam. The person I spoke with told me the calendar was wide open with appointments and I could have one the next day, if I were able to make it. I could not make it that soon so I scheduled it for 10 days later, on January 19th.
On the day of the appointment, I made the two hour drive up to the Oklahoma City VA clinic as there was no option to complete the appointment over the phone or in Wichita Falls. I was quickly checked in upon arrival for my 2pm.
I was told to have a seat in the lobby and I would be called shortly. After 10-15 minutes of people watching, I was called back for my environmental exam. The nurse was friendly and the office was small. We started out discussing the questionnaire I submitted in September. The document was on her desk but she rarely used it, instead typing in my answers as I gave them verbally.
Once this was completed, the nurse asked about any other issues not listed and then she listened to my lungs. We spoke about the process. She informed that the PACT Act exam would have no bearing on my VA rating, unless I develop a condition that can be directly attributed to my deployed time. I was then sent on my way. Total appointment time: 17 minutes.
Final Word
While I was active duty, the burn pit registry was always mentioned as something we should complete but were deterred to the hassle to gather the required information. The passage of the PACT Act removed a lot of red tape for veterans.
While the process was murky, to say the least, I was able to get it squared away. If I’m being honest, having it completed within six months was something I did not expect. I do not know if anything will come from me registering but I feel a bit better knowing I did my part.
