On the eve of the second anniversary of President Biden signing the PACT Act into law, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a new dashboard to highlight the impact of this legislation on veterans and their survivors. The PACT Act has significantly expanded care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans.
Key results from the implementation of the PACT Act include:
- Over 1 million veterans and their survivors have received disability compensation benefits under the PACT Act, totaling more than $6.8 billion. VA is delivering these benefits at an unprecedented rate, set to surpass last year’s record by over 27%.
- Nearly 740,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care since August 10, 2022, marking a 33% increase over the previous two years. This includes more than 333,767 enrollees from populations affected by Vietnam, Gulf War, and Post-9/11 conflicts.
- More than 5.6 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposures under the PACT Act. These screenings are crucial for early detection and treatment of potentially life-threatening conditions.
- Record numbers of veterans are applying for earned benefits due to extensive outreach efforts by VA. Over the past two fiscal years, VA has received approximately 4.4 million claims for disability compensation benefits.
“Thanks to President Biden, millions of Veterans are now getting the health care and benefits they’ve earned for their heroic service and selfless sacrifices,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “For decades, these Veterans bravely served our country while exposing themselves to hazards like burn pits or Agent Orange — and many got sick as a result.”
VA's outreach campaign has included thousands of events since the passage of the PACT Act, millions of letters and emails sent out, a nationwide advertising campaign, and a first-ever text messaging campaign aimed at reaching eligible veterans.
Veteran trust in VA services has reached an all-time high at 80.4%, with outpatient healthcare trust increasing to 91.8%. With increased enrollments under the PACT Act, VA is projected to deliver over 127 million healthcare appointments in 2024—a 6% increase over last year's record number.
For further information about how two years of the PACT Act have helped veterans or to view state-level data, visit VA’s PACT Year-in-Review Dashboard.
