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.