Veterans Affairs reports rise in benefits and highlights PACT Act cancer presumptives

Ruth Eutrich, director of Jackson County Veterans Affairs, told the county board Tuesday that 417 veterans and their families in Jackson County currently receive about $776,736 in VA benefits and that 55 claims are open with 19 decisions made in the last month.

Eutrich said federal data estimates the county has about 1,248 veterans (a statistical estimate rather than a count) and that statewide the VA estimates 177,922 veterans in Iowa. She summarized fiscal‑year 2023 figures showing about $14.81 million in veterans benefits in the state, including roughly $5.91 million for medical care; locally, the county recorded 535 unique veterans using VA health care, an increase of about 12 people from the prior fiscal year.

Eutrich said the county is conducting outreach, including a newspaper article and a recent radio interview, to inform veterans about eligibility changes under the federal PACT Act of 2022. She said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Jan. 8, 2025, added several cancer conditions to its list of presumptive conditions for Gulf War and post‑9/11 veterans, noting that presumptive status removes the need for a veteran to prove service connection for the listed conditions. The new presumptives included acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis, urinary bladder cancer and certain genitourinary cancers; Eutrich urged veterans who believe they may be affected to contact the county office for help applying.

The board accepted the Veterans Affairs Commission minutes from Nov. 13, 2024, and placed them on file.

Eutrich said two commission members have terms expiring in June and that she will reach out about reapplication; she also asked that the county advertise vacancies so citizens may apply.