With the passage of the PACT Act, more than 20 medical conditions are considered presumptive conditions. These conditions include many different types of cancer — such as brain, gastrointestinal, kidney and melanoma — as well as conditions like chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic rhinitis.
“We’ll bring generations of new vets into VA health care and increase the health care benefits of many more, and this will result in better health outcomes across the board,” said McDonough.
“We’ll deliver benefits to more survivors of vets who passes away from toxic exposures, and we’ll invest in our workforce and our infrastructure to deliver those additional services, modernizing 31 healthcare facilities. This is a great thing.”
"I'm proud to announce for the first time today, on National Cancer Awareness Day, that we're expediting benefits delivery for veterans with cancer conditions covered in this law," VA Secretary Denis McDonough said during a speech at the National Press Club.
"Our office is the hub for county, state and federal benefits, and Diane and Tammie do tremendous work helping veterans," DiGiacomo said. "They do a lot of research to try to get them the claim they should get, and more importantly, the maximum amount of percentage (of affliction) for that illness."
The latest scam targeting veterans involves offering help getting benefits (for a fee) from the “Camp Lejeune Settlement.” The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, part of the PACT Act that became law in August, allows vets and their survivors to pursue compensation if they developed serious illnesses from water contamination at Camp Lejeune. You don’t need to pay someone to help you receive benefits.