SaysWho? Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 Biden to sign a bill that would care for veterans made sick by toxic exposures WWW.NPR.ORG President Biden on Wednesday will sign the PACT Act, a bill to care for veterans exposed to toxins that is considered the biggest expansion of veterans' health care in U.S. history. This is also something he called on Congress to do in his State of the Union this year: Quote My administration is providing assistance with job training and housing, and now helping lower-income veterans get VA care debt-free. Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan faced many dangers. One was stationed at bases and breathing in toxic smoke from “burn pits” that incinerated wastes of war—medical and hazard material, jet fuel, and more. When they came home, many of the world’s fittest and best trained warriors were never the same. Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin. Quote One of those soldiers was my son Major Beau Biden. We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops. But I’m committed to finding out everything we can. Committed to military families like Danielle Robinson from Ohio. The widow of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson. He was born a soldier. Army National Guard. Combat medic in Kosovo and Iraq. Stationed near Baghdad, just yards from burn pits the size of football fields. Heath’s widow Danielle is here with us tonight. They loved going to Ohio State football games. He loved building Legos with their daughter. But cancer from prolonged exposure to burn pits ravaged Heath’s lungs and body. Danielle says Heath was a fighter to the very end. He didn’t know how to stop fighting, and neither did she. Through her pain she found purpose to demand we do better. Tonight, Danielle—we are. The VA is pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to diseases, already helping more veterans get benefits. And tonight, I’m announcing we’re expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers. I’m also calling on Congress: pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uaarkson Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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b_m_b_m_b_m Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaysWho? Posted August 10, 2022 Author Share Posted August 10, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaysWho? Posted August 10, 2022 Author Share Posted August 10, 2022 Here we go: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 Dark Biden? Banned? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Guest Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 Anybody have a link that explains why this is needed? I thought we already provide healthcare benefits to veterans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_m_b_m_b_m Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 6 minutes ago, sblfilms said: Anybody have a link that explains why this is needed? I thought we already provide healthcare benefits to veterans. My understanding is that for the VA to cover something it has to be related to service. I could be wrong though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 12 minutes ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said: My understanding is that for the VA to cover something it has to be related to service. I could be wrong though! Eligibility for VA health care | Veterans Affairs WWW.VA.GOV Review VA health care eligibility criteria. Find out if you qualify for VA health care, how VA priority groups may affect you, and how to apply. What a stupid system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkableriots Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 www.POPSCI.com/health/pact-act-veterans-burden-of-proof/ Quote Yet the VA has denied up to 75 percent of disability claims related to burn pit exposure. That’s because until now, the agency left it up to veterans like Danovich to prove that their condition resulted from their service. That’s about to change. The PACT Act shifts that burden of proof onto the state. The legislation lists 24 different conditions and illnesses, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to brain cancers. Under the act, these conditions are “presumptive,” meaning that affected veterans are automatically eligible for insurance coverage and disability compensation from the VA—without having to prove a thing. What Are the 23 Illnesses Covered Under the PACT Act? VETERANLIFE.COM The PACT Act is one of the most extensive health care/benefit expansion efforts put forth by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Quote The PACT Act is one of the most extensive health care and benefit expansion efforts ever put forth by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The new law will protect and grant access to generations of Veterans struggling with presumptive conditions related to toxic exposure. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the PACT Act will bring the following changes to VA benefits and care: “Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras. Adds more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures. Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation. Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care. Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposure.” The PACT Act ensures Veterans receive easy access to high-quality health care and services connected to potential toxic exposure. For combat Veterans who experienced 9/11, the bill increases the period they have to register in VA health care from five to ten years post-discharge. Additionally, for Veterans who don’t fall within that time period, the bill also allows for a one-year enrollment period, giving post-9/11 Veterans easy access to health care. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 This should not have taken nearly so long, and seems like an easy win. I really hope people remember the GOP holding this hostage for purely political reasons. Mostly though, the necessity of this bill just makes me sad. My uncle was a regular at the VA from the day he got back from Vietnam to the day he died. It had never occurred to me that he would have to prove his illness were related to his time serving or not. Seems like if a vet gets cancer it shouldn't really matter why. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 Dems gave a lot of solid talking points to rally behind. I hope they use them until they are blue in the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_MH Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 1 hour ago, TwinIon said: This should not have taken nearly so long, and seems like an easy win. I really hope people remember the GOP holding this hostage for purely political reasons. Mostly though, the necessity of this bill just makes me sad. My uncle was a regular at the VA from the day he got back from Vietnam to the day he died. It had never occurred to me that he would have to prove his illness were related to his time serving or not. Seems like if a vet gets cancer it shouldn't really matter why. That sounds like socialism and government healthcare. Do we really want soldiers we send across the planet to die for political reasons to face death panels when they get back? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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