ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Retired Army Colonel DJ Reyes says before the PACT Act, veterans had a hard time getting benefits to help treat health issues likely caused by breathing in toxins.
“The onus was on the veteran to prove that they got sick from being overseas. And that was the problem,” said Reyes.
Reyes says he was exposed to burn pits in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where the military would dispose of trash, wreckage, and even raw sewage.
Now, he says he and tens of thousands of other veterans have permanent respiratory issues.
“At the inception of the Global War on Terror starting with 9/11, veterans would get deployed and they would come back. And for the first time ever in our history really where we have had individuals and units continuously going into a theater of war for 20 years,” said Reyes.
But two years ago, President Biden signed into law the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics or PACT Act, expanding veterans benefits for those exposed to toxins.
Tanya Bradsher, Deputy Secretary with the Department of Veterans Affairs, toured Bay Pines VA Hospital in St. Petersburg on Wednesday and discussed the impact the PACT Act has had.
"We have now brought in 740,000 veterans into our healthcare system in the last two years thanks to PACT Act. And we are so proud of our outreach events that we continue to do,” said Bradsher.
The VA says it’s still planning to close certain loopholes and expand coverage.
“We have a process now where we are able to take a look and if there are other conditions that warrant us to take a hard look at, then we have the process built in place with the PACT Act,” Bradsher said.
“I believe there are going to be things we find out later on that we have no clue what it is right now,” Reyes said.
Officials are encouraging veterans and their family members to use VA services and apply for benefits. The VA has an online dashboard with the latest information on the PACT Act.
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