CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It has been nearly one year since President Biden signed into law something known as the "PACT Act." It expands healthcare benefits for millions of veterans of all eras exposed to toxic material while serving in uniform.
"PACT" stands for "Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins." While there is no deadline to apply for benefits, there are two important things to know tonight: First, residents are going to want to start their claims by Aug 9, and second, they're going to want to stop scammers who are out to get them.
The PACT Act is meant to provide generations of our heroes and their survivors with care and benefits after being exposed to things like Agent Orange and burn pits.
AARP Veterans & Military Families Initiative Senior Advisor Troy Broussard said that some veterans are being charged for a service they can get for free.
“In a survey we just did, Mike, two-thirds of those service members were unaware that they can receive free assistance with these benefits through the VA," he said.
Broussard is a U. S. Army Desert Storm Veteran, which means he is very familiar with the benefits available to veterans in our area.
“You never have to pay for your earned benefits or your service records, so if you are told something like that, it's a scam. Immediately stop, hang up the phone and disengage the conversation because that person is attempting to scam you," he said.
It comes into play now because there is a deadline coming up.
Nueces County Director of Veterans Services J. J. De La Cerda said those who want to receive backdated benefits will need to submit their intent to file a claim by August 9.
"The deadline is simply for retro payment purposes. So, if you apply today for PACT Act, the VA will retro pay you all the way back to when the law was signed, which was August 10 of last year (2022). But you have to apply by August 9 of this year," he said.
Residents can begin the process at va.gov. Once you submit your intent to file, residents can still have a year to actually complete their claims.
For help filing a claim, call the Nueces County Veterans Services Office at (361) 888-0820 or the Texas Veterans Commission at 1 (800) 252-8387 (VETS). You can also visit www.va.gov/pact.
To learn more about protecting yourself from fraud and other scams targeting veterans, visit www.aarp.org/vetsfraudcenter or call 1 (877) 908-3360.
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