{"id":121170,"date":"2023-08-03T23:54:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T03:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=121170"},"modified":"2023-08-03T23:55:13","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T03:55:13","slug":"rep-susan-wild-urges-veterans-to-file-for-pact-act-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=121170","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Susan Wild Urges Veterans to File for PACT Act Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>ALLENTOWN, P.A.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Congresswoman Susan Wild is urging veterans to apply for expanded benefits under the\u00a0<em>PACT Act<\/em>\u00a0ahead of Wednesday, August 9th.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Veterans who submit their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/resources\/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.va.gov\/resources\/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ooWXcVAxBa13ufvyOfw3X\">\u201cintent to file\u201d<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<em>PACT Act<\/em>\u00a0benefits by August 9th will be eligible for retroactive benefits for the past year the law has been in effect<\/strong>. For too long, veterans had the burden of proving their illnesses were caused by exposure to toxic chemicals during their service. The\u00a0<em>PACT Act<\/em>\u00a0expands benefits for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service by adding new presumptive conditions for toxic substances including radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins, and burn pit exposures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast year, I pushed to pass the\u00a0<em>PACT Act<\/em>\u00a0into law to fulfill our promise to the brave men and women who sacrificed for our country,\u201d\u00a0<strong>said Rep. Susan Wild.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cNow, I\u2019m working to raise awareness of the upcoming August 9<sup>th\u00a0<\/sup>deadline: the date by which veterans must submit their \u2018intent to file\u2019 to be eligible for a year of backdated benefits. These are benefits veterans earned, are owed, and I\u2019m working to ensure they receive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is no deadline to file for future benefits under the\u00a0<em>PACT Act<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 but by submitting an intent to file for August 9, 2023, eligible veterans can receive benefits backdated for the past year.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Rep. Wild is Urging PA-07 Veterans to File for Benefits They Deserve:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Lehigh Valley News:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lehighvalleynews.com\/health-news\/lehigh-valley-veterans-urged-to-file-for-pact-act-benefits-before-backdate-deadline\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.lehighvalleynews.com\/health-news\/lehigh-valley-veterans-urged-to-file-for-pact-act-benefits-before-backdate-deadline&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw03Okeyf8ooxdtlXJiI5FxE\">\u201cU.S. Rep. Susan Wild is urging veterans and their survivors to file for expanded benefits in the next two weeks or risk missing out on a year&#8217;s worth of support.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cWild, D-Lehigh Valley, voted last summer for the PACT Act, a bipartisan bill that made it easier for veterans who served in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Vietnam and other locations to receive health benefits for specific ailments. But nearly a year after President Joe Biden signed the legislation, Wild is concerned many of her constituents will miss out on a year&#8217;s worth of benefits they are entitled to.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe three-term congresswoman speculated that locals may not be aware of the law or may be turned off by failed past efforts to receive health benefits. Compiling the medical history and service records to file a successful claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs has long been challenging. She recalled the difficulties her father had qualifying for benefits for his hearing loss that she attributed to his Air Force service.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>The Morning Call:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/2023\/07\/25\/only-a-fraction-of-the-lehigh-valleys-veterans-have-applied-for-this-expanded-veterans-health-program-advocates-are-trying-to-change-that\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/2023\/07\/25\/only-a-fraction-of-the-lehigh-valleys-veterans-have-applied-for-this-expanded-veterans-health-program-advocates-are-trying-to-change-that\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0cBa0oO4bDC0vGZMLzTblp\">\u201c[T]he Lehigh Valley\u2019s congresswoman and other veterans advocates are trying to get the word out before an August deadline\u2026\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c\u2018I want to thank every veteran for their service to our country,\u2019 U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said in a statement to The Morning Call. \u2018If you or a loved one may have been exposed to toxic substances while serving \u2026 I highly encourage you to file for expanded benefits under the PACT Act.\u2019\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWild was a sponsor and advocate for the PACT Act when it passed last year.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>WFMZ:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfmz.com\/news\/area\/lehighvalley\/aug-9-deadline-approaches-for-veterans-exposed-to-burn-pits-other-toxic-substances-to-apply\/article_226d6afa-274e-11ee-9922-53021a749971.html\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.wfmz.com\/news\/area\/lehighvalley\/aug-9-deadline-approaches-for-veterans-exposed-to-burn-pits-other-toxic-substances-to-apply\/article_226d6afa-274e-11ee-9922-53021a749971.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2hQKiY3zGwx9In_nQlyHHl\">\u201cU.S. Congresswoman from the Lehigh Valley, Susan Wild, has a message for veterans not sure if they are eligible for medical help.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThe PACT Act makes more than 3 million veterans eligible for additional health benefits. If you sign up by Aug. 9, you will be eligible for a year of retroactive compensation.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cU.S. Congresswoman from the Lehigh Valley, Susan Wild, has a message for veterans not sure if they are eligible for medical help\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201c\u2018Go ahead and file anyway. The presumption is going to be that, if you&#8217;ve served in one of the affected locations, during affected years, you will be presumed that your medical condition relates to your military service. Which is a flip from the way it&#8217;s been done in the past with the VA,\u2019 Wild said.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Blue Ridge Cable TV:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TILdl_3epIo\" data-rel=\"lightbox-video-0\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/youtu.be\/TILdl_3epIo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2sivLFcPTEx17Ju_ODukuS\">\u201cCongresswoman Susan Wild: \u2018Just File!\u2019\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cCongresswoman Susan Wild tells us that of the 44,000 veterans in the 7<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0district, only 735 claims have been filed.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cCongresswoman Wild says the online process is pretty straightforward. \u2018I went online because I wanted to know just how easy it is. The very first thing you\u2019re going to see when you go to VA.gov is information about the PACT Act. You click on that, the next page takes you right to the phone number, or it takes you to a very simple online form, so that you have then filed your intent to seek benefits.\u2019\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIf in doubt, file. There\u2019s no penalty if you file and it later turns out that you didn\u2019t serve in the right kind of place to be entitled to these benefits or have the right kind of disability\u2026 Just file!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To learn more about\u00a0<em>PACT Act<\/em>\u00a0benefits or to submit an intent to file, veterans should visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/resources\/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.va.gov\/resources\/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ooWXcVAxBa13ufvyOfw3X\">VA website.<\/a>\u00a0Anyone with questions or in need of assistance to apply for benefits can contact Rep. Wild\u2019s Allentown, Lehighton, or Easton\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wild.house.gov\/contact\/offices\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/wild.house.gov\/contact\/offices&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572211000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2qSyQ5Zc3mPMtgC0fIt_wp\">offices<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Information for Offices of Veterans Affairs across PA-07 are listed below:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carboncountypa.gov\/services\/veterans_affairs\/index.php\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.carboncountypa.gov\/services\/veterans_affairs\/index.php&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572212000&amp;usg=AOvVaw21-tYBMLo6Yc2ZX6T5uqFm\">Carbon County<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 76 Susquehanna St., Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 \u2014 570-325-3986<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lehighcounty.org\/Departments\/Veterans-Affairs-Home\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.lehighcounty.org\/Departments\/Veterans-Affairs-Home&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572212000&amp;usg=AOvVaw087RweKyqfuWSVBlqbvrS8\">Lehigh County<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a017 S. 7th St., Allentown, PA 18101 \u2014 610-782-3295<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.monroecountypa.gov\/departments\/veterans-affairs\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.monroecountypa.gov\/departments\/veterans-affairs&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572212000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PxczbtfBFSjOrReI66qSG\">Monroe County<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 1 Quaker Plaza, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 \u2014 570-517-3187<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.northamptoncounty.org\/HS\/VETAFF\/Pages\/default.aspx\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.northamptoncounty.org\/HS\/VETAFF\/Pages\/default.aspx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691200572212000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2zi5mu4mJXE_G6QX9jynJ1\">Northampton County<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 2801 Emrick Blvd., Bethlehem, PA 18020 \u2014 610-829-4875<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Information provided to TVL by:<br \/>\nKatie Smith<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ALLENTOWN, P.A.\u00a0\u2013 Congresswoman Susan Wild is urging veterans to apply for expanded benefits under the\u00a0PACT Act\u00a0ahead of Wednesday, August 9th. Veterans who submit their\u00a0\u201cintent to file\u201d\u00a0for\u00a0PACT Act\u00a0benefits by August 9th &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=121170\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Rep. Susan Wild Urges Veterans to File for PACT Act Benefits<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":121171,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/pact-act.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121170"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=121170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/121171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=121170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=121170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=121170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}