PACT Act deadline approaches

On Aug. 10, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act into law and while there is no deadline to apply for the benefits, there is a deadline to apply for backdated benefits. That deadline is Wednesday; applications can be filed at va.org Hancock County Veterans Service Organization Executive Director Nichole Coleman said local veterans can use the office to apply for benefits. She said the office assists veterans and their surviving spouses with intake appointments to help them understand the claims process and walk them through every step. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and veteran service organizations encourage everyone to file a claim, in case illnesses develop later or additional toxins are added to the list. Heath Robinson, an Ohio National Guardsman, was 39 when he got sick and died after being exposed to burn pits while serving overseas. The bill, named after Robinson, provides critical health care coverage to veterans suffering from illnesses from their exposure around Agent Orange, radiation, burn pits — football-field sized open fire bits used to burn chemicals — among others. The new law also dismissed the burden of proof needed to connect the illness to the service. The bill, which was heavily supported by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, passed in the Senate in July 2022 with an 86-11 vote, after veterans spent a week outside the Capitol pleading for an approval.