Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Montana VA touts PACT Act milestone since screening more than 35,000 for toxic-exposure

Nearly 75 percent of veterans enrolled with the Montana Veteran Affairs Health Care System have been screened for toxic exposure since the PACT Act was enacted in 2022, providing those who served additional resources to combat illnesses that followed them home.

Officially known as the Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, the PACT Act expanded health care eligibility for veterans by adding 23 burn pit-related and toxic exposure conditions for veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras.

“This is a tremendous milestone for our Veterans,” Montana VA Executive Director Duane Gill said in a press release. “The PACT Act has expanded benefits for Veterans. Every Montana Veteran deserves access to these expanded benefits, and these screenings are the first step in getting them the benefits they have earned.”

Benefits have also been expanded to include veterans who served in Guam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and American Samoa and those who were exposed to the highly toxic herbicide Agent Orange, the Chronicle previously reported.

The PACT Act — H.R. 3967 and S.3373 — became law on August 10, 2022, and was named after Sgt. Heath Robinson, who died in 2020 from toxic exposure.

In Montana, just under 9% of the adult population are veterans, equating to about 78,000. Since August of 2022, the Montana VA Health Care System has screened over 35,000, or 73 percent of its enrolled veteran population.

The VA has 18 sites across Montana with 1,400 employees.

As of January, 3,300 veterans were receiving toxic-exposure-related benefits within the state, and updated data hasn’t been released yet, said Matthew Rosine, a spokesperson for the Montana VA, via email.

Nationally, over 1 million PACT Act claims have been approved for Veterans, the Associated Press reported — dolling out around $5.7 billion.

At an event at the Travis W. Atkins VA Clinic in Bozeman in January, Sen. Jon Tester touted his involvement as a co-sponsor of the PACT Act and its impact on veterans. Joined by several such veterans or their spouses, he helped share their stories, highlighting that before the PACT Act, they wouldn’t have received the same benefits.

Tester, the chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs sent, out a press release on Wednesday celebrating the 35,000 veteran milestone in Montana.

“Screening our veterans who were exposed to toxins during their military service ensures they receive the health care and benefits they have earned,” Tester said. “This is an important provision from the PACT Act, and I’m proud to see it at work helping screen tens of thousands of Montana veterans. This law is a game-changer for veterans, and I’ll keep fighting to see that the PACT Act continues to work for toxic-exposed veterans and their families.”

Senator Steve Daines, who also voted for the PACT Act, provided the Chronicle with a statement on Wednesday.

“This is great news,” he said. “The PACT Act has provided a vital pathway for veterans to receive critical medical screenings related to toxic exposure, but more needs to be done by the VA to ensure that these veterans receive timely and quality care after these initial toxic exposure screenings. I will continue to press VA leadership to ensure proper investments are made for Montana Veterans.”