The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act) was signed into law on August 10, 2022. Since that time, there have been hundreds of thousands of claims filed under the PACT Act.
Recently, a review of PACT Act claims by the VA Officer of Inspector General (OIG) found that roughly one-quarter (of grants) listed incorrect start dates which have resulted in improper payouts of about $6.8 million to some veterans and shortchanging an estimated 2,300 others.
In a report released April 15, the OIG concluded that the legislation’s complexity, along with inadequate guidance from the Veterans Benefits Administration, led claims adjudicators to assign the wrong “effective date” to an estimated 26,000 claims, resulting in overpayment by the government in the first year of the legislation. The OIG found that mistakes were made because: claims processors were not adequately prepared to determine correct effective dates and the automated tools created to provide assistance in determining a date “were unreliable.”
The OIG made recommendations to help correct the problem, including creating a better tool to determine the right date and remove the old ineffective system, while continuing to update the system to ensure it follows claims-related laws, evaluate poor training regarding the PACT Act and to correct all the processing errors found by the OIG team.
Michael Frueh, the VA’s acting under secretary for benefits, agreed with the recommendations in a written statement and said that some fixes had already been made and promised the VA would implement all recommendations by July 31 at the latest.
Gardberg and Kemmerly is open for calls and online assistance and will continue to help our Veterans in any way possible, including staying up to date on current VA information. If you have a claim for disability and need assistance, please call our office and speak with one of our qualified Veterans’ Disability attorneys. Gardberg and Kemmerly is committed to helping injured and disabled Veterans obtain the benefits they deserve. If you need help with a disability claim, call the office at 251-343-1111 or 1-800-332-1529 for a free consultation. Gardberg and Kemmerly is proud to serve Veterans across the country from our home office in Mobile, Alabama.