Andrew Myatt was deployed to Iraq after 9/11, and like many other veterans, when he returned home he struggled to receive the healthcare he deserves. After putting his life on the line in the Army and being late diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, the last thing he needed was to be denied coverage 3 times through the VA. Yet, this is the reality of so many veterans who were unknowingly exposed to toxins in open-air burn pits when they were deployed. Until the PACT Act was signed, many vets were unable to prove to the VA that their illnesses were linked to burn pit exposure. The law now takes that burden off of veterans and automatically connects sicknesses such as asthma and various cancers to exposure.
The VA has estimated four million veterans were exposed to burn pits in the last 30 years, yet only 66,000 of those claimed benefits and 1.4 million have been screened for toxic exposure since the legislation was signed.
Now a year after the PACT Act was passed, VA Secretary McDonough is sending a message to veterans and urging those who may have been affected to file claims with the VA immediately.
Myatt said it is disheartening that so many members of the service have been exposed needlessly and have likely passed away due to this exposure. Shockingly, the Defense Department has yet to adopt policies banning open-air burn pits and it is tracking six of them in U.S. personnel countries.
While acknowledging the progress made by the PACT Act, Myatt was finally approved for coverage through the VA after the fourth claim was filed and his cancer was deemed a result of his deployments. Lastly, the VA is working on determining facility needs to provide care to potentially millions of more patients.
Burn pits are an issue that still needs to be addressed and as an important issue had brought to light, as well as the potential health risks to veterans. Thankfully, after years of denials, the government finally signed the PACT Act and it provides hope to veterans who are unsure of receiving coverage and being linked to the terrible toxins they were exposed to.
If you are a veteran and believe you have experienced negative health issues as a result of burn pit exposure, you can file a claim at VA.gov/PACT.
What's the point in rushing to file them when you continue to deny the new assumptive conditions even after you confirm the condition and the toxic exposure. If this is the easier God knows there are bound to be some of the multitude of veterans who commit suicide did it because they just couldn't take dealing with the VA any longer. What horrible thing to even be able to consider, but I understand how it could happen.
I served in the US Air Force I was station at RAF Bentwater/WoodBridge 1986-1989. I work in the bomb dump and we were exposed to Pentachlorophenol (PCP) power form. It was all over our uniforms or sick and would get into our mouths. I now have two brain tumors, neurological disorders. I was denied.
While the way our war time veterans were treated in this area has been ridiculous, this has been an issue for far longer than that. I, along with thousands of other sailors were sent to ship construction yards, most of which have been identified as chemical cesspools, and trying to go through the PACT process is like pulling teeth. The VA is denying assumptive claims, ignoring medical determinations from specialist and generally doing everything but the damn job. Even if you win the claim your going to go through a couple of years or more with lots of medical expenses that you never get to recover for volunteering to serve our country. The reason so many have not pursued…
My husband is a Vet during Vietnam but as a toddler lived on Camp LeJune while his father was in music school (served Marine Corps for 35+ years). In 2019 my husband had his prostate removed due to cancer then in 2020 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He still had 4 yrs left to work at his new job when we got the diagnosis. We have had many many experiences in these past 3 yrs and have absolutely no more savings. Our sole income is social security. We filled a claim with DOJ, they are moving extremely slow. I received a notice that the claim was considered legitimate and gave us a claim number and that they would get …
Yes, I am a Vietnam Veteran with Agent Orange Prostrate Cancer and am at 50%, Anybody know how to raise this up like most have??? dlb1942@gmail.com.