PACT Act expanded for burn pit related cancer; Eases burden of proof for certain cancers

Article Title: Act expanded for burn pit related cancer; Eases burden of proof for certain cancers

Article Excerpt: "...The new step lowers the burden for veterans deployed to the Middle East during the Gulf War and after 9/11 to prove certain cancers are related to their service. If they are approved for disability benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) fully covers their related cancer treatment. ..."

Reference Source: www.usatoday.com

Scumbag Watch | VA Executives Received $10.8 Million in Improper Bonuses Under PACT Act, Watchdog Finds

Article Title: VA Executives Received $10.8 Million in Improper Bonuses Under PACT Act, Watchdog Finds

Article Excerpt: "...The amount is $1 million more than the department acknowledged last September when Secretary Denis McDonough said 170 senior executives at the VA's Central Office in Washington, D.C., erroneously received $9.7 million in bonuses under a retention bonus program authorized by the PACT Act.

The department inspector general's report found that 182 senior executives at VA headquarters received the nearly $11 million in bonuses, ranging in size from about $39,000 to more than $100,000 for each of seven executives in the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA. ..."

Reference Source: www.military.com

Millions of Vets Got Health Care and Benefits Under the PACT Act. Thousands Left Out Want the Same Chance.

Article Title: Millions of Vets Got Health Care and Benefits Under the PACT Act. Thousands Left Out Want the Same Chance.

Article Excerpt: "...Julie Akey was just 46 when she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that she describes as an "old man's disease," typically diagnosed in those 65 and older. The news shocked the former Army linguist. She had no family history of the relatively uncommon disease. ...The problem is not unique to Fort Ord. Across the country and around the world, environmental pollution at active and former U.S. military sites has created the specter of potential health threats for former service members and their families who worked and lived in places now known to have been contaminated."

Reference Source: www.military.com

Veterans learn about PACT Act

Article Title: Veterans learn about PACT Act

Article Excerpt: "...veterans met with representatives of the VA and other organizations to learn the PACT Act. The new law extends coverage for certain groups of veterans and adds to a list of health conditions presumed to be caused by military service, from exposure to such things as burn pits and oil well fires. ..."

Reference Source: www.iolaregister.com