On May 22, 2024, the one (1) millionth disabled veteran received approval for the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act claims from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

According to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, a total of 31,945 Ohio disabled veterans have now their PACT Act claims granted by the VA. Many of the disabled veterans were from the Southwestern Ohio area.

The PACT Act, signed into law in 2022, provided expanded medical care and services for disabled veterans, who were exposed to deadly toxins and chemical substances, from open burn pits and Agent Orange.

The bipartisan legislation was named after SFC Robinson, a Central Ohio disabled veteran, who suffered and died in 2020. He was thirty-nine (39) years old when he passed away from lung cancer, after his one-year deployment in Iraq in 2006.

The late Colonel Terry Keene, a member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter #63 (Clemont County), suffered from the effects of the toxic open burn pits after serving four (4) combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq during his career. He was buried on August 24, 2018, his 60th birthday. He fought for his VA benefits, like SFC Robinson, but never received them.

The PACT Act expanded VA health care to these disabled veterans by adding a “presumptive” service connection for hundreds of conditions linked to burn pits, Agent Orange and other hazards while serving on active duty. Presumptions, such as these, lower the burden of proof required to receive disability benefits.

“This is the most comprehensive expansion of health care for veterans who faced toxic exposure in our country’s history,” said Senator Brown. “Now it’s making sure nearly 32,000 veterans in Ohio – are getting the care they earned through their service.”

One of the other benefits of the PACT Act was more than 400,000 veterans have enrolled in the VA health care over the past year. This was a thirty (30%) percent increase over the previous year. This is, according to the VA, critical because disabled veterans who are receiving VA health care have better or equal health outcomes.

Also, more than 5.4 million veterans have already been screened because of the PACT Act by the VA for toxic exposures. Forty-four (44%) percent of the 5.4 million veterans reported toxic exposure. These VA screenings are a critical step to detecting, understanding, and treating potentially life-threatening health conditions.

In March of 2020, the VA announced that all veterans who meet eligibility requirements and were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military (either at home or abroad) had become eligible to enroll directly in VA health care.

This VA announcement, approved by the President, eliminated the phased-in approach legislated by the PACT Act. This meant that disabled veterans are now eligible for VA health care up to eight (8) years earlier than written into law.

Since August of 2022, the VA has received over 1,650,000 million PACT-Act-related claims and they have completed more than 1,320,000 claims.

The one (1) million granted PACT Act-related claims, according to the VA, are claims from more than 888,000 veterans and survivors that include a PACT Act condition where at least one condition from the claim was granted.

“Whenever a veteran gets a claim granted,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough, “it means a life-changing monthly payment and access to no-cost VA health care for that condition. We won’t rest until every veteran and every survivor gets the VA health care and benefits, they deserve.”

The average service-connected rate for veterans, according to the VA with these granted claims is 70%, meaning that they receive more than $20,000 in earned benefits payments from the VA each year.

“If you were exposed to toxins while serving our country,” said Senator Brown, “you deserve the care you earned. Period. No exceptions.”

My Opinion: While everyone celebrates the tremendous impact the PACT Act has had for disabled veterans, we are neglecting the 15,000 service members deployed to Karski-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between 2001 and 2005. They were exposed to residuals of nearly 400 chemical compounds and radioactive-depleted uranium and jet fuel.

The Department of Defense knew they were exposed to dangerous toxins. A 2015 Army Study revealed that K2 veterans have a 500% greater chance of developing certain cancers – from illnesses ranging from neurological and autoimmune in nature to respiratory and urological.

Unfortunately, the VA does not recognize most K2 toxic exposures. Even passage of the PACT Act provides little assistance for K2 veterans. “While the PACT Act includes K2 in the burn pit presumptives,” said DAV Deputy National Legislative Director Shane Liermann, “the VA still has not recognized all the other toxic exposures and potentials unique to K2.”

Congress and the VA must address these K2 exposure gaps in the PACT Act and give disabled K2 veterans access to life-changing healthcare benefits.

Bio Sketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the DAV Department of Ohio’s Hospital Chairman and also Adjutant of DAV Chapter #63 (Clermont County). He can be contacted at: plahovinsak@msn.com.