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PACT Act Benefits

Last year, I was proud to have voted for a bill that was signed into law by President Biden known as the Honoring Our PACT Act, or the PACT Act for short. This legislation expanded health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic exposures, and since it was signed into law on August 10, 2022, over 3,600 El Pasoans have submitted claims.

The PACT Act extends eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services for veterans with toxic exposures from the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras, requires the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in VA healthcare, and has added more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and toxic exposures.

There’s no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, but if you file your claim or submit your intent to file by August 9, 2023, you may receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022. You can file your claim by:

  • Calling 800-827-1000 to notify the VA your intent to file. They are open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. MT.
  • Filling the claim online at: www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/.
  • Mailing your completed form to: Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.
  • Taking your form to the VA regional office near you. Here is a list of the locations in El Paso:
Veterans Benefits Office at the El Paso VA Clinic
5001 N. Piedras Street
Benefits Office
El Paso, TX 79930

El Paso Veterans Readiness and Employment Office
7500 Viscount Blvd
Suite C-50
El Paso, TX 79925

Integrated Disability Evaluation System Site at Fort Bliss
11282 Sgt. C. Thomas Blvd
Building 11282
East Fort Bliss, TX 79918

If you need assistance filling out the claim, the VA maintains a list of recognized organizations and accredited individuals that are authorized to assist in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of VA benefit claims at https://www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp. You can also call my El Paso office at 915-541-1400 or email me at Veronica.Escobar@mail.house.gov if you have any questions. 

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