Thanks to historic new legislation called the PACT Act, VA is now able to provide generations of toxic-exposed Veterans and their survivors with the health care and benefits they deserve. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law on August 10, 2022, more than 360,000 Veterans and survivors have applied for their earned benefits, more than 2.1 million Veterans have been screened for toxic exposures, and more than 185,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA health care.
All of that information and more is now available in today’s edition of the VA PACT Act Performance Dashboard, which can be viewed in full here. The previous dashboards can be viewed here: 3/3/2023, 3/17/2023, and 3/31/2023. All future dashboards will be available on this site.
As announced in March, VA is publishing this dashboard every other Friday to measure the implementation of this legislation and showcase its impact on Veterans and survivors.
As part of VA’s commitment to transparency, we are sharing the same dashboard both internally and externally to maximize accountability to the Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors we serve.
Key aspects of the dashboard include:
- The # of Veterans who have applied for PACT Act-related benefits
- The # of Veterans who have received toxic exposure screenings, and the percentage of those Veterans who have concerns about exposure
- The # of Veterans who have enrolled in VA health care since August 10, 2022
- A Veteran story about the impact of PACT Act-related VA care and benefits
- An overview of upcoming events where Veterans and survivors can learn more about PACT Act-related care and benefits
VA will not rest until every Veteran gets the toxic exposure-related care and benefits they deserve. To apply today or learn more about what the PACT Act could mean for you, visit VA’s PACT Act website at VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411.
*This news story first published on March 3, 2023; it has been edited with each new update.
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I served on Guam 67 t0 68.
Had kidney removed due to cancer. Applied under PACT. No response, guess they are just waiting for me to die before they act on my case. Unbelievable the amount of time it takes to review cases.
On March 29, 1968, Vietnam era, I joined the Marine Corps and was released from Active Duty February 26, 1969. I was in Cook School at Camp Lejeune from May 21, 1968 – September 1, 1968 and exposed to the toxic water greater than 8 hours per day, prepping food, serving food from steam tables and clean-up. I was exposed to the toxic water by direct contact, through breathing water vapor and drinking water. My exposure was greater than most, because of the Cook School training. The main toxic chemicals that I was exposed to were Benzene, Acetone, TCE, and TCP all of which have been shown through research studies to cause most of my medical issues, hypothyroidism, hypertension, fibromyalgia, atrial fibrillation, Sjögren’s syndrome, anxiety, pulmonary nodules, chronic joint pain, blood clotting disorders, including Antiphospholipid Syndrome and other Autoimmune issues, and peripheral neuropathy.
Three Physicians submitted letter in support of my health issues, stating “that it is more likely than not”, that my exposure to the toxic heavy metals in the water at Camp Lejeune has caused many if not all of my health issues.
Over the past several years I have filed several disability claims, only to have them denied. I have asked my Legislators for support and the VA has denied their requests. Most of the denials state that I do not have one of the Camp Lejeune toxic water Presumptive Illnesses. I have also filed for a direct disability.
Any suggestions on how I should proceed going forward.
After 6 months filling out forms, and trying to prove that I spent 13 months in the jungle which was dead from agent orange spray on the foliage.
The VA has placed me in the agent orange list. Yea! Would they look at the effects of the agent orange affecting my legs for 50+ years. NO. It’s a bit irritating, because the rash itches like poison ivy. for 50+ years. The Pact act must be for officers only. Sorry for complaining!
You have the right to complain, they should have treated you better. There is No excuse for ignoring you like that.
Why is it that 100%total and permanent or 60% or higher doesn’t give Veterans overseas in the Philippines medications for all conditions that the Veteran receives while in CONUS?
Example BP, Cholesterol, Aspirin, Vitamins medications. But, received in the USA.
Why are my service connected medications reduced in strength in the Philippines? Example Gabapentin and Diclofenac? All vitamins received in the USA for service connected disabilities stopped in the Philippines. Why? The Philippines says, Washington, DC. Your yanking licensing away and scrutinizing doses to the point they don’t have the medication available to distribute among the VA population.
Why are prosthetics for service connected disabilities not available in the Philippines. Examples, CPAP supplies, Cane, knee pettella brace?
Why did a Foreign Medical Program person tell me to, with volgar language to hang up the phone, after a call, when I was invited to an after call survey? I never responded to any she was saying. She told me over and over hang up the Fn phone. She stated she hated callers like this to coworkers.
Lost 1/3 of a Lund due to Service connected disability. Don’t expect PACT act equates to a rating. Same disability rules apply to all disabilities.
Unfortunately, this is a bit of a scam. They loudly announce this new program and encourage you to apply. But when you do they say yes you have hypertension but they award you no money, a rating of 0 percent. In my case I have had high blood pressure for 40 years after service in Vietnam. I have been on medication over this entire period and yet at times my blood pressure has been seriously out of control.If I was. It on meds my blood pressure would be off the chart. The VA criteria are seriously deficient.
You are being too kind in calling it “seriously deficient”. It’s totally disgraceful how veterans are treated.
Please tell your raters that Prostrate cancer falls under a reproductive cancer of all types. I cannot believe such a simple claim has to go to an appeal. You guys have not changed in the last 20 Plus years. How sad.
I recently was awarded 10% for hypertension related to service in Vietnam. The PACT ACT finally put this on the radar. It just so happens I filed a claim for Hypertension in 1996 and of course it was denied. The date of the 10% award coincides with August 10,2022, when the PACT ACT was signed into law. I can forget about retro for the original claim which would have been covered under the Nehmer class action ruling. I hear your frustration out there. Get yourself a decent VSO ,get your DBQs filled out by your private doctors and cardiologists. Line your ducks up and maybe you can prevail. Good luck and don’t give up!
Great advice, except..there are no decent VSO’s, American Legion, DAV, none. They want all the “glory” but tell veterans to do the work themselves then say “see what we got you”.
Many of you talk about hypertension but you don’t mention kidney issues. Most of your meds are meant to ease pressure on your kidneys.
I take Lisinopril to lower my blood pressure and ease my kidney pain. 0% rating for this as well.
Many of you are probably fighting kidney disease, cyst, hardening of the tissues, adrenal gland issues, structural changes to the tubeless of Henlee, and prostate problems.
GFR and creatinine are probably borderline high so they don’t say much to you about that.
I find many of these conditions over lap and when you have one it adds to others.
Bet every one of you has real low blood lab values like B12 and D3, amylase, and high lipids, cholesterol. These are signs of metabolic issues with enzyme functions that throw you off your game.
Your on your own trying to manage these. It’s real hard. But, because it’s not critical values VA ignores it. Even when they bottom out like mine have.
Do yourselves a favor, do several weeks of FULL blood labs and build a real baseline. I bet you weird things show up when you see them over a month. I did that and it showed me volumes. Ask about amylase and vitamin D levels. The stuff they don’t look at. GFR.
Can’t win this fight without evidence.
Same as Mr.cook a 0 comp for hypertension.
You can be exposed the agent orange and still not meet the criteria pretty sad.
So I can see from these comments that I might as well not waste more of the time I have left (I’m 75) on trying to get compensated. My stress level and probably BP went up just reading them.
It maybe negative, but you can’t let that stop you. I’ve taken 26 years of negative from all kinds of people, thousands. I don’t rely on that.
If your having trouble, apply regardless and keep trying. My 2002 rating decision was after 2 presidentials, 4 congressionals, and embarrassing VA so badly the Sec of VA pencil whipped my appeal after I met with his staff at 810 Vermont Street. For a measly 60%.
It’s part of what is screwing me up now as how it was done. Not stopping me.
Don’t key off these others, don’t let any of this stop you. Don’t give up.
Just received my Hypertension rating. Approved but 0%. Been on BP meds . Total scam by the Politicians and VA!. Viet Nam 67/68.
I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION ON AGENT ORANGE EXAMINATION. IN 1991. HAVE BEEN ON BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS SINCE 1994, STILL ON 5 MEDS NOW FOR HYPERTENSION AND HEART. I WAS RATED 0% FOR HYPERTENSION. FIRST FILED CLAIM IN 1994. WHY NOT PAY AS YOU HAVE ALL OTHER PRESUMPTIVE BACK TO DATE OF FIRST CLAIM.I SERVED IN VIETNAM JUNE 1967 – JUNE 1968 WITH 11TH ARMORED CALVARY
I was in Long Bien 6/67 to 6/68. I know how you feel.
I am in the same situation as many of you that have received service connection but zero rating for high blood pressure. I am on three medications daily for
hypertension. I have been told by DAV that these three medications would be furnished by VA without cost now. Yet I cannot get any help from VA up
update my records so I am not billed for them. The politicians are patting themselves on the back for finally helping Viet Nam veterans with toxic chemical
exposure but the real truth is that they didn’t.
So far the PACT Act has been no more than a voter stunt. I’ve been on blood pressure medications since 2005, sometimes two medications daily. Had it not been for these medications who knows what my blood pressure would be, or if I would even be here. Zero percent and a 2023 effective is a slap in the face to all Vietnam era veterans.
As an Infantryman in Vietnam in 1969 I was exposed to Agent Orange. It was dripping on us from the jungle leaves that were recently sprayed. I’ve been on two Hypertension medications for over 50 years. The VA granted me service connection disability at 0%! What type of BS is that? The BS is that the Pact Act is just publicity in favour of the government. It projects a falsely positive attitude that the government cares about its veterans without having to give them anything in compensation. Shame on you!
The PACT act is purely a political hustle. The blood pressure threshold is totally arbitrary. My claim for hypertension was approved as service related ( Vietnam ) at 0 percent comp! How can it be 0 if it is approved? I recommend all vets who are in the same situation to appeal. Maybe we could band together and hire legal help to challenge the 0 ratings? I am fairly confident that the VA is using actuary tables to calculate waiting time vs mortality. The longer they can drag it out the fewer of us will still be alive, thus lowering the payouts when and if appeals are approved.
As a Vietnam veteran, I submitted my information for hypertension and was awarded no pension increase. Without going off of my 3 meds I take to control my high blood pressure to prove to them that my BP WAS OVER 160/111. They want proof, but in order to get the documentation they want I have to put my life in jeopardy to prove it.
This may be a great resource but after trying to contact over 15 phone numbers given by the VA for the Environmental Health Coordinator in Maryland and actually speaking with the person listed, who told me someone would contact me, I am still waiting for someone to tell me how to schedule an appointment for toxic exposure screening. We have been calling the VA and visiting our advocate since November just to find out if I am on the Agent Orange Registry. Should not be so difficult but this resource makes it sound so easy and it is not!
I am living in Thailand……….what can they do to help me expedite this……I want to travel to the USA, but that is difficult because of chronic pain from “Chemical Posioning & AO”, in 2017 were awarded, am 100%, other problems !!!! Sincerely. Gary R. Bostic, Ssgt., USAF 100DAV
What are you going to do about Vietnam Vets that were there but “not” there?
I think Vietnam veterans are getting screwed once again because we cannot put in a tort act to get years of back monies deserved for all the years of suffering and pain dealing with a toxic exposure of agent Orange that the VA did not want to give us before or others like myself that never even knew we could file a claim until 2011 and I just accidentally overheard two veterans talking in a primary care facility waiting room. For the things like my bronchiasticist that I have had ever since Vietnam I should be able to get back money for all those years but because I didn’t know I could file a claim until 2011 that’s as far back as I can go and that’s just not right where the other people with the camp lejeune water act which I’m a part of but thank God I’ve not had any cancers they can file for tort action and go back all those years and get $250 to 500,000 or more. Just not right once again the Vietnam veteran gets screwed!!
I called the VA with a question and waited 56 minutes for someone to answer and then they hung up on me. Why?
I have had the opportunity to visit VA facilities in 1981
When I retired and again around thirty years later. My treatment all times has been excellent, profess and respectful. My pact act claim was processed and approved within 90 days. Earlier claims were also acted on within a reasonable time. I will soon be 80
and a bit !ore dependent on VA for health
needs. Am very satisfied with the treatment at the
Martinsburg WVA VA facilities
PS: I like the dashboard.
I was denied hypertension several years ago, filed a supplement in August and just was just approved 10% increase, but no monetary increase. As a Vietnam Veteran the pack act just did nothing for me and some others, but get our hopes up and waste our time.
I applied for high blood pressure under the Pact ack presumptive, was granted with 0% it’s a shame that we have to deal with all the BS .It’s is a slap in the face. They only have a 10% rating for HBP,but added to what I get now would help me.
Agent orange info on Thailand
I like this important News that benefit a lot of veteran
I have been treated for high blood pressure since the early to mid 1970s. I applied for PACT act benefits because of agent orange exposure in Vietnam. I have suffered the side effects of the disease as well as the side effects of the medication to treat the disease for over 50 years. The VA acknowledges the connection of my service in Vietnam to the disease but at 0 %. I don’t think that is right and the PACT act is political BS.
Don’t give up. Stay after them. Keep going in and keep requesting disability rating 50 percent or more.
Agree with Andrew. .ine was treated the same way.0%. Think it’s there standard gor Hypertension.
Agree with Andrew. Mine was treated the same way.0%. Think it’s there standard for Hypertension.
I am in the same situation. VA treats medication as though it were a cure and it is not. Damage to vessels, organs and other parts of the body has already occurred and the meds are only keeping us alive a bit longer. I have contacted one of my senators about this and although it has not been out right indicated, its doubtful this was what the PACT act meant. I am on 3 drugs that each have an arm long length of side effects and I think I have encountered every one. I’m going to do what little I can to get this reviewed. I never saw anything about the requirements being posted in the Federal Register.
I agree with James Hunters post on 3 March 2023… VA needs to bring the standard of hypertension more in line with the medical community. 130 stage 1 and 140 stage 2. Even with medication my BP is all over the charts. One day it is fine and the next it’s sky high. The day I was test by your doctor my BP was good according to your standards. Two day later I was admitted to a local hospital with a BP 190/170. A zero percent is a slap in the face.
I was exposed to asbestos in the navy now have lung cancer
I was wondering about something like that. I was exposed to asbestos in the Air Force. Is that covered under this PACT Act or is the act just for exposures to substances like Agent Orange?
Why are they ignoring those of us who developed Hyperthyroidism and Vitiligo?? No one else in my family has these diseases but me .I was stationed at Camp Lejeune for 5 years ,but it didn’t cause my problems ,.. yeah right !, at least not til I’m cold and dead . Thanks a lot .
These numbers on this hypertension for the VA is ridiculous . There couldn’t have been a doctor to come up with these numbers. Medication of course helps the readings so what is a vet vet to do stop taking their medication so they can have these numbers the VA requires for their benefits ? Any way you put it hypertension is hypertension.
March 3, 2023 I call my local VA hospital and want to make a follow up TOXIC SCREENING appointment and I was told the next appointment would be June 10, 2023. I was this is part of the PACT ACT … I’m shaking my head in disbelief but I’m grateful fir making the call… I know what I did in Saudi for 6 months daily MO-Gas & Diesel the Fumes THICK & BLACKEST THING I’VE SEEN! But it had to be done! I’m Proud I Had The Opportunity To Serve My Country… I Pray To They Creator I’m Not Left In The Cold… Raymond Sanchez Flores American Latino Native Disabled Veteran PACT ACT First brigade, first armored division / third brigade, third infantry division
NEED HELP WITH PACK ACT.?
I am a GULF WAR 1 VETERAN BEEN GOING TO THE VA SINCE 2O14 THEY ALWAYS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MY BLOOD BUT NEVER COULD TELL ME WHAT N STILL NOTHING INFLAMMATION IN ALL PARTS OF BODY FROM TOXINS HOPE TO GET HELP DESERVED NOW
Get tested for RA. I know a few of us from Gulf War and even now with OIF/OEF people are getting RA. Best of Luck
RLTW
I have RA and was in the Gulf War in 90-91. How do you tie it back to that?
This is a joke, right? Can you also create a dashboard for how many Veterans you are failing and going to fail, via the Pact Act?
I guess this means I don’t understand. My mother was a Camp Lejeune Marine from 1958 – 1960. She married my father in 1960, she had 1 miscarriage which was a boy on base and then another miscarriage which was a girl. Then my sister who had problems focusing on school work. My birth was 1 month pre-mature. My own private nurse.
How did the VA come up with styolic at 160? The majority of medical community starts hypertension at 130 stage 1 and 140 stage 2. I think it is time for the VA to make a change to adjust the 10% disability. I am personally appealing your decision as I showed a 160 and 162 in my first filing now I am on medication but still have 150 to 156 but was denied 10% disability. Hopefully the VA board will look at it realistically.
Is the PACT ACT just for Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Afghan veterans? Or can all veterans exposed to toxic chemicals apply?
Good Luck with your appeal. I agree the VA Numbers are much out of line. I am getting ready to file and I am sure that I will be in the same situation. Why the heck are we on meds then
Please send me more information
I’ve made my proposals to VA over and over about creating a Toxic Exposure Pathology Center to aid veteran medical claims.
None of the Registries and EH programs do true tissue collection samples for Pathology reports. You can’t prove toxic exposures without proof, and adipose fatty tissue would be riddled with it.
PACT act is mostly terminal care. It’s already failed with issues like ABHOR. Burn pit data from 8 years lacks tissue collection samples. 30,000 exams did not do more than chest xrays and pulmonary function test.
ILER and Genesis portal are of little value if there is no hard line data in them. Puts burden of proof on self reporting and survey tools.
VA has a lot more to do, and it should also offer a program like USERVOICE so vets can submit ideas then vote on them. Show VA alternatives in all this.
But, Sec of VA isn’t serious about these things or veteran opinions.