VA to host town hall for Nevada veterans seeking PACT Act benefits

The Veterans Administration is hosting town halls in all 50 states this month to help veterans seeking benefits under the PACT Act.

Dubbed “PACT Act Week of Action” the town halls will explain the PACT Act, legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden in August that expands health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxins from burn pits and other hazards while serving in wars overseas.

Services including toxic exposure screening, health care eligibility and enrollment, benefits and claim assistance, along with COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations, will be offered at the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center, 6900 N. Pecos Road, on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The PACT Act expands services for veterans from the U.S. wars who were exposed to environmental hazards or toxins that could presumptively cause cancers, asthma that was diagnosed after service, Parkinson’s disease, and other ailments. 

After Biden signed the PACT Act into law, veterans set a record for filing benefits claims online. More than 136,000 applied for benefits under the toxic exposure law as of mid-November with an anticipated 700,000 more veterans and surviving family members applying in the coming months, according to the VA. 

Survivors of toxic-exposed veterans and veterans who served in specific countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia may be eligible. 

Those interested in the town halls are advised to bring their DD214 form. Those unable to make the in-person event can obtain information at VA.gov/PACT or by calling 1-800-MYVA411.