WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to a Tuesday message from the VA, more Kansans are using their services, thanks to the PACT Act.
Key outcomes for Kansas Veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors from this fiscal year include:
Providing more world-class health care to Veterans: VA delivered more than 1,284,000 health care appointments to Kansas Veterans this year, and 3,606 Kansas Veterans enrolled in VA health care.
Delivering more earned benefits to more Veterans: 50,858 Kansas Veterans received compensation and 1,164 received pension benefits this year, representing an estimated $1,253,000,000 and $16,300,000 in earned benefits, respectively. Additionally, VA processed 21,479 disability benefit claims for Kansas Veterans, with an overall grant rate of 67.6%.
Earning Veteran Trust: Nationwide, Veteran trust in VA reached 80.4% this year, an all-time record and an increase of 25% since 2016. Veteran trust in VA health care also reached 92%, another record.
Supporting Veterans in crisis: VA provided no-cost emergency health care this year to more than 540 Kansas Veterans in acute suicidal crises.
Supporting a record number of survivors of Veterans: 721 Kansas survivors received pension benefits this year, representing an estimated $7,460,000 in earned benefits. Additionally, 4,588 spouses and dependents in Kansas received Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, representing an estimated $92,700,000 in earned benefits.
Supporting a record number of women Veterans: 5,696 women Veterans in Kansas received compensation, representing an estimated $148,900,000 in earned benefits. Additionally, 425 women Veterans in Kansas enrolled in VA health care. VA now has more women Veterans enrolled in its health care system than ever before.
Giving Veterans final resting places in VA National Cemeteries: VA interred 756 Veterans in VA’s national cemeteries in Kansas this year.
Ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran was a big part of getting the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act through Congress.