St. Cloud VA Health care
System announcement

News & Announcements

PACT Act of 2022 

The PACT Act of 2022 is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. Key components of the PACT Act include:

• Expands VA health care eligibility for toxic-exposed Veterans and extends enhanced eligibility for Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and Post-9/11 combat Veterans
• Adds more than 20 burn pit and toxic-exposure-related conditions to VA’s service presumption list
• Improves VA’s decision-making process for determining what medical conditions will be considered for presumptive status
• Every enrolled Veteran will receive an initial toxic exposure screening and a follow-up screening at least every 5 years. Veterans who are not enrolled, but who meet eligibility requirements, will have an opportunity to enroll and receive the screening
• VA health care and benefits personnel will receive toxic exposure-related education and training
• Requires research studies on mortality of Veterans who served in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War, Post-9/11 Veteran health trends, and Veteran cancer rates
• Helps VA build a stronger, more skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for benefits and services
• Authorizes 31 new medical facilities across the country, providing greater access to VA health care

Visit https://www.va.gov/PACT to learn more, or view, download and print the attached fact sheets.

Central Minnesota Veterans wanting to apply for VA health care enrollment may call our Eligibility Department at 320-252-1670, ext. 6340.

Those wanting to file a claim for service connected disabilities are encouraged to visit with their local County Veterans Service Office. A full listing of County Veterans Service Offices in Minnesota is available at:  https://www.macvso.org/