The PACT Act and your VA benefits

We’ve added more than 20 burn pit and other toxic exposure presumptive conditions based on the PACT Act. This change expands benefits for Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veterans.

These cancers are now presumptive:

• Brain cancer
• Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
• Glioblastoma
• Head cancer of any type
• Kidney cancer
• Lymphoma of any type
• Melanoma
• Neck cancer of any type
• Pancreatic cancer
• Reproductive cancer of any type
• Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

Learn more about presumptive cancers related to burn pits

These illnesses are now presumptive:

• Asthma that was diagnosed after service
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic rhinitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
• Emphysema
• Granulomatous disease
• Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sarcoidosis

Learn about other hazardous materials presumptive conditions that may make you eligible for care or benefits

If you served in any of these locations and time periods, we’ve determined that you had exposure to burn pits or other toxins. We call this having a presumption of exposure.

On or after September 11, 2001, in any of these locations:

• Afghanistan
• Djibouti
• Egypt
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Syria
• Uzbekistan
• Yemen
• The airspace above any of these locations

On or after August 2, 1990, in any of these locations:

• Bahrain
• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Somalia
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• The airspace above any of these locations

Yes. The PACT Act adds new presumptive conditions. But there are also many other health conditions that we presume are caused by exposure to toxic (or hazardous) materials. If you have any of these other conditions, you may be eligible for health care or benefits.

Learn about other presumptive conditions based on exposure to hazardous materials

We’re extending and expanding VA health care eligibility based on the PACT Act. We encourage you to apply, no matter your separation date. Your eligibility depends on your service history and other factors.

If you meet the requirements listed here, you can get free VA health care for any condition related to your service for up to 10 years from the date of your most recent discharge or separation. You can also enroll at any time during this period and get any care you need, but you may owe a copay for some care.

At least one of these must be true of your active-duty service:

• You served in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or
• You served in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after November 11, 1998

And this must be true for you:

• You were discharged or released within 10 years

We encourage you to enroll now so we can provide any care you may need now or in the future. Enrollment is free.

We’ll share information about more opportunities to enroll in VA health care under the PACT Act soon.

Other factors, such as your financial circumstances or having a service-connected disability, may also make you eligible for care. There are many paths to VA health care eligibility. Applying is the best way to find out if you’re eligible. 

Based on the PACT Act, we’ve added 2 new Agent Orange presumptive conditions:

• High blood pressure (also called hypertension)
• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

You may also be eligible for disability compensation based on other Agent Orange presumptive conditions. These conditions include certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses.

Get a list of other Agent Orange presumptive conditions

If you think you’re eligible for VA health care and benefits, we encourage you to apply now.

Yes. The PACT Act adds new presumptive conditions. But there are also many other health conditions that we presume are caused by exposure to toxic (or hazardous) materials. If you have any of these other conditions, you may be eligible for health care or benefits.

Learn about other presumptive conditions based on exposure to hazardous materials

We’ve added these 5 new locations to the list of presumptive locations:

• Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976 
• Laos from December 1, 1965, through September 30, 1969
• Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969
• Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off of Guam or American Samoa from January 9, 1962, through July 31, 1980
• Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977

If you served on active duty in any of these locations, we’ll automatically assume (or “presume”) that you had exposure to Agent Orange.

Note: This isn’t the full list of presumptive locations for Agent Orange exposure. Review eligibility requirements for more presumptive locations.

Review eligibility requirements for Agent Orange presumptive exposure

We’ve added these 3 new response efforts to the list of presumptive locations:

• Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, from January 1, 1977, through December 31, 1980
• Cleanup of the Air Force B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons off the coast of Palomares, Spain, from January 17, 1966, through March 31, 1967
• Response to the fire onboard an Air Force B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons near Thule Air Force Base in Greenland from January 21, 1968, to September 25, 1968

If you took part in any of these efforts, we’ll automatically assume (or “presume”) that you had exposure to radiation.

There are also other locations where we presume that you had exposure to radiation. If you served in any of these locations, you may be eligible for health care or benefits.

Get a list of other radiation presumptive locations

If you served on active duty in any of these locations during these time periods, you’re now eligible to apply for VA health care:

• The Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975
• Thailand at any U.S. or Royal Thai base between January 9, 1962, and June 30, 1976 
• Laos between December 1, 1965, and September 30, 1969
• Certain provinces in Cambodia between April 16, 1969, and April 30, 1969
• Guam or American Samoa (or their territorial waters) between January 9, 1962, and July 31, 1980
• Johnston Atoll (or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll) between January 1, 1972, and September 30, 1977

If you haven’t filed a claim yet for the presumptive condition, you can file a new claim online now. You can also file by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.

File for VA disability compensation online

Learn more about how to file a disability compensation claim

If we denied your disability claim in the past and we now consider your condition presumptive, you can submit a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review your case again.

Find out how to file a Supplemental Claim

We encourage you to file a Supplemental Claim. When we receive a Supplemental Claim, we’ll review the claim again.

Find out how to file a Supplemental Claim

Note: If we denied your claim in the past and we think you may be eligible now, we’ll try to contact you. But you don’t need to wait for us to contact you before you file a Supplemental Claim.

You don’t need to do anything. If we added your condition after you filed your claim, we’ll still consider it presumptive. We’ll send you a decision notice when we complete our review.

Yes. The PACT Act is here to stay, and Veterans and survivors can file for benefits anytime. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start getting your earned benefits.

So don’t wait. File your claim—or quickly submit your intent to file—today.

File a disability claim online

Learn how to submit your intent to file

We will process your claim with the utmost urgency to get you the benefits you deserve as quickly as possible. In the first year of the PACT Act, we completed 458,659 PACT Act-related claims—delivering more than $1.85 billion in earned benefits to Veterans and their survivors.

The time it takes to review your claim depends on these factors:

• The type of claim you filed
• How many injuries or disabilities you claimed and how complex they are
• How long it takes us to collect the evidence needed to decide your claim

We regularly update the average number of days it’s taking us to make a decision on disability-related claims on our website.

Learn about the claims process and what happens after you file your claim

You can also check your claim status on VA.gov or through our VA: Health and Benefits mobile app.

Check your claim status

Learn more about the VA: Health and Benefits mobile app on our mobile app website

Toxic exposure screenings are available at VA health facilities across the country.

Every Veteran enrolled in VA health care will receive an initial screening and a follow-up screening at least once every 5 years. Veterans who are not enrolled and who meet eligibility requirements will have an opportunity to enroll and receive the screening.  

The screening will ask you if you think you were exposed to any of these hazards while serving:

• Open burn pits and other airborne hazards
• Gulf War-related exposures
• Agent Orange
• Radiation
• Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure
• Other exposures

We’ll then give you information about any benefits, registry exams, and clinical resources you may need.

Ask about the screening at your next VA health care appointment. If you don’t have an upcoming appointment, or if you want to get the screening sooner, contact your local VA health facility. Ask to get screened by the toxic exposure screening navigator.

Yes. If you’re a surviving family member of a Veteran, you may be eligible for these benefits:

• A monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment. You may qualify if you’re the surviving spouse, dependent child, or parent of a Veteran who died from a service-connected disability. 
  Learn how to apply for VA DIC
• A one-time accrued benefits payment. You may qualify if you’re the surviving spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent of a Veteran who we owed unpaid benefits at the time of their death.
  Learn about evidence needed for accrued benefits
• A Survivors Pension. You may qualify if you’re the surviving spouse or child of a Veteran with wartime service.
  Learn how to apply for a Survivors Pension

You can submit a new application for VA dependency and indemnity compensation (VA DIC). 

Learn about VA DIC and how to apply

Note: If we denied your claim in the past and we think you may be eligible now, we’ll try to contact you. We may be able to reevaluate your claim. But you don’t need to wait for us to contact you before you reapply.

You may be eligible for these VA benefits as the surviving family member of a Veteran:

• Burial benefits and memorial items such as a gravesite in a VA national cemetery or a free headstone, marker, or medallion.
• A burial allowance to help with the Veteran’s burial and funeral costs. You may qualify if you’re the Veteran’s surviving spouse, partner, child, or parent.
• Education and training. You may qualify if you’re the survivor of a Veteran who died in the line of duty or as a result of service-connected disabilities.
• Health care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). You may qualify if you’re the survivor or dependent of a Veteran with a service-connected disability.
• A VA-backed home loan. You may qualify if you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran.

Learn more about family member benefits