The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) declared on Friday that the PACT Act has led to a 30 percent increase in its health care system enrollment in the past year.
The department revealed that in the last year, more than 401,000 veterans have joined the VA health care system. In the first year of the expanded program, 340,000 veterans had PACT Act-related claims approved.
“This is the highest number of yearly enrollees in at least the past five years at VS, and almost a 50 percent rise from the level of enrollment during the pandemic in 2020,” the release stated.
The PACT Act, signed into law by President Biden in 2022, set out to provide the largest expansion of veterans benefits in decades. The act was intended to expand benefits for former service members who were exposed to toxins during war and developed illnesses as a result.
In the first year after it was signed into law, more than 4.1 million screenings for toxic exposure had been conducted, but the Biden administration also faced strained resources and delays in providing aid to veterans.
The VA’s announcement on Friday indicated that Texas had the highest number of people enrolling in its health care system, with 41,287 individuals signing up for benefits. California had 33,468, and Florida had 32,712 enrollees.
The department stated that it has carried out “the most aggressive outreach campaign in its history” by organizing events, running multi-million-dollar ads, and using public service announcements to reach veterans who could access health care.
“We want every eligible Veteran to enroll in VA health care for one simple reason: Veterans who come to VA are shown to have better health outcomes – and pay less – than Veterans who don’t,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement.
The VA’s announcement stated that approximately 693,000 veterans have had their priority groups upgraded, resulting in lower copays since the passing of the PACT Act.
McDonough mentioned that the VA’s outreach has “led more Veterans to enroll in VA care than during any year in at least a decade, and we’re not slowing down now.”
