VA Updates PACT Act Presumptive Conditions List
The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded the list of qualifying presumptive conditions eligible under the PACT Act. Passed in 2022, the PACT Act offers expanded VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances in the line of duty, even if veterans filed a prior claim for such exposures and were previously denied.
Since the Passage of the PACT Act
Since the passage of the act, the VA has expanded the eligibility list to include more conditions, and in June 2024, the Department of Veterans Affairs made more additions to the list of presumptive conditions associated with toxic exposures while serving:
- Male breast cancer.
- Urethral cancer.
- Cancer of the paraurethral glands.
This means troops deployed to qualifying regions don’t have to prove a military service connection if they develop such medical conditions after serving there. A “presumptive condition” is one the VA assumes is service-connected with no further evidence needed.
Presumptive Conditions
According to VA.gov, “Presumptive service connection means VA automatically assumes service connection for the disease and provides benefits to eligible Veterans who have submitted claims with evidence of a diagnosis.”
The VA issued a press release on its official site noting that the new presumptive conditions apply to those who have served in the Gulf War or in Post-9/11 duty in areas including but not limited to the following:
- Afghanistan
- Somalia
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Yemen
- Uzbekistan
- Southwest Asia (including Iraq)
VA.gov says “any veteran” suffering from a VA presumptive condition during or after military duty “may be entitled to disability compensation benefits,” and those in the VA health care system “can obtain cancer screening and treatment at VA…”
The Department of Veterans Affairs has, at press time, awarded nearly $6 billion to veterans and surviving family members since the PACT Act became law. More than one million veterans have filed PACT Act claims.
What’s Next?
If you believe you qualify for PACT Act benefits or are unsure if your condition meets the criteria, apply for benefits today at the VA official site. Never assume you aren’t eligible for VA benefits. Let the Department of Veterans Affairs make that determination after reviewing your case.
You do not have to pay to apply for VA benefits; you can always get free assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Call them at 1-800-827-1000 for help with PACT Act benefits or any other VA-related issue.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
