VA expands toxic-exposed veterans’ eligibility for benefits

Leveraging authorities granted to it by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester’s PACT Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently added three new cancer types to its list of service-connected disabilities presumed to be caused by military toxic exposure. 

Presumptive service connection ensures VA automatically assumes a disease is service-connected—making the disability compensation claims process more seamless for veterans.

VA’s move was done under Tester’s PACT Act, which created a framework that enables VA to further expand presumptive service connection benefits for toxic-exposed veterans. Prior to the PACT Act, VA’s ability to establish presumptive conditions was slow, cumbersome, and often required Congressional action.

“We fought like hell alongside veterans to get the PACT Act passed to ensure every veteran exposed to toxins during their military service would get the health care and benefits they earned and were promised,” Tester said. 

The cancers VA added to its presumption of service connection list include male breast cancer, urethral cancer, and cancer of the paraurethral glands for eligible toxic-exposed Gulf War and Post-9/11 veterans deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Dijbouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Uzbekistan, and the entire Southwest Asia theater of operations.

Tester championed the PACT Act and shepherded its passage through Congress in 2022. 

Named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson who died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service, this law provides health care for Post-9/11 combat veterans, expands VA’s list of health conditions presumed to be caused by toxic exposures, which opens the door to additional benefits for veterans, and improves resources to support claims processing.

Under this law, VA recently granted its one millionth PACT Act disability claim.

Toxic-exposed veterans and survivors can apply today for health care and benefits at VA.gov/PACT or by calling 1-800-MYVA411.