Photo by Clay Schuldt Sen. Amy Klobuchar addresses the crowd gathered at Oak Hills Living Center to hear about the PACT Act provisions that will make more veterans eligible for treatment for diseases relate to proximity to burn pits during the Gulf War.

NEW ULM — U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited Oak Hills Living Center Saturday to meet with local veterans and promote the PACT Act, but also promised to speak to Gov. Tim Walz in regards to the crisis facing skilled nursing facilities in rural Minnesota.

Klobuchar’s visit was intended to highlight new benefits and care available to veterans through the PACT Act, a bill recently passed in Washington D.C. that represents one of the largest health care and benefit expansions in the Department of Veterans Affairs history.

“When our young men and women sign up to serve, there wasn’t a waiting line,” Klobuchar said. “When they come home to our country and need a job, a place to stay, education or health care benefit, there shouldn’t be a line either,” she said.

The PACT Act includes provisions related to “burn pits.” During the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq wars many service members were stationed next to burn pits that burnt toxic substances. Many soldiers exposed to burn pits came home with an array of health issues at young ages. This new law changes VA policy to include those health issues.

Klobuchar said between 2007 and 2020, the VA denied 75% of disability claims related to burn pits on the basis that it was not a service-based condition. The PACT changes policy requiring the VA to presume certain illnesses and cancers are related to burn pits and toxic substances.

“Veterans will no longer need to prove their time in front of burn pits cause their illness,” Klobuchar said. “They will just have to prove they were there.”

The PACT Act also includes new provisions for Agent Orange exposure. Klobuchar said there were issues with high blood pressure and other diseases associated with Agent Orange that the VA was not covering. In changing the law to expand coverage for burn pit exposure, the coverage for Agent Orange exposure was also expanded for Vietnam vets. Similar to the burn pit provision, the VA will presume illnesses are related to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam vets. The list of locations connected to Agent Orange was expanded.

“This will ensure that more Vietnam vets even decades later will be able to apply for benefits,” the senator said.

Brown County Veteran Service Officer (VSO) Greg Peterson also spoke on the PACT Act. He said the new law impacts anyone in the service since 1960. The Agent Orange provisions were a significant change in terms of location now recognized for coverage.

“We’ve got to change the way we think about where people served,” Peterson said. Before the PACT Act, only service personnel who set foot in Vietnam has presume exposure to Agent Orange but that has expanded to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam and even American Samoa. Peterson said Agent Orange was stored in American Samoa up to the 1980s.

“Agent Orange isn’t any longer a wartime veteran’s disease,” he said.

The list of medical conditions connected to Agent Orange has expanded. Peterson said hypertension and hypothyroidism are all linked to Agent Orange.

During the conference, one veteran asked if conditions connected to Agent Orange could be passed on to children or grandchildren.

Peterson said there are studies that illnesses can be passed down to children and grandchildren. The PACT Act will promote the study of new diseases. Peterson believed the list of illnesses related to burn pits and Agent Orange would increase.

Klobuchar said it is anticipated a huge amount of veteran claims will come forward in the near future because so many claims were previously denied.

During the conference, Klobuchar was asked about the crisis in skilled nursing facilities facing the state. Oak Hills was recently at the forefront of seeking greater funding to keep nursing home facilities staffed and operational.

Dr. Ann Vogel said there are many veterans who have medical conditions that require skilled nursing care. She asked the senator if she had any suggestions for securing additional funding for skilled nursing homes from the state.

“Long-term care is the elephant in the room that no one has dealt with,” Klobuchar said. She agreed there were not enough nursing facilities in the state or enough workforce.

Klobuchar said she supported greater incentives –including wages — to get people into long-term care fields. She also supported focused immigrant reform. With a shrinking workforce, immigration was the only way to get more workers into the state.

“I don’t see it changing solely based on our own population right now,” she said.

Oak Hills Living Center Administrator Candas Schouvieller stressed that skilled nursing facilities need support now.

“This is something that cannot be discussed next year,” Schouvieller said. The number of nursing homes that have closed is alarming. Nursing homes in Minnesota lose staff because they cannot offer competitive pay. In addition, compensation rates are 24 months behind in rural Minnesota. Revenue received at Oak Hill is based on expenses from two years ago.

Klobuchar promised to speak with state officials about this concern.

“I will advocate with the state to do what I can to from my perch in Washington,” Klobuchar said. She also promised to call Gov. Tim Walz and discuss the problem with him.

The recent train derailment in Raymond was also addressed. Klobuchar visited Raymond on Friday along with Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach. Klobuchar said there were 22 rail cars on fire, but the local fire department was able to respond quickly. The community was evacuated in case of an explosion. As of Saturday, the citizens of Raymond were able to return home.

Klobuchar said the ethanol being hauled on the rail car did not get into the soil because the ground was still frozen and much of it burned off in the fire. Klobuchar said the track is being reassembled with plans to start running the trains within a few days, depending on the weather.