The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, signed into law in August 2022, is the most significant expansion of veteran benefits in decades. It established presumptive service connection for dozens of conditions linked to burn pit exposure, Agent Orange, radiation, and other toxic substances — meaning veterans no longer need to prove the connection between their condition and their service.
If you served in Southwest Asia after August 2, 1990, or in certain other locations and time periods, this law likely affects your eligibility for VA disability benefits in ways you may not yet be aware of.
A presumptive condition means the VA automatically assumes your condition is connected to your service if you meet the service location and time requirements. You do NOT need to provide a nexus letter or prove the connection. You just need to show you served in the covered location and have the diagnosis.
Who Is Covered by the PACT Act?
The PACT Act covers veterans who served in:
- Southwest Asia (Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Afghanistan, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, or the waters of the Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf/Red Sea) after August 2, 1990
- Djibouti after September 11, 2001
- Certain other locations with documented toxic exposure
- Veterans exposed to Agent Orange in additional locations beyond Vietnam
- Veterans exposed to radiation in expanded circumstances
The 23 Presumptive Cancers Under PACT Act
The PACT Act added 23 types of cancer as presumptive conditions for covered veterans. If you have any of these diagnoses and served in a covered location, you qualify for service connection without proving a nexus:
PACT Act Presumptive Cancers (Partial List)
- Head cancer, neck cancer, and respiratory cancer
- Reproductive cancers (including prostate cancer)
- Melanoma
- Any rare cancer (defined as affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans per year)
- Glioblastoma and other brain cancers
- Lymphatic cancer including lymphoma
- Kidney cancer
- Melanoma of the eye
- Bladder cancer
- Any malignancy of the bile ducts, gastrointestinal tract, or pancreas
This is a partial list. See VA.gov for the complete list of covered cancers.
Non-Cancer Presumptive Conditions
Beyond cancers, the PACT Act also established presumptive service connection for several non-cancer conditions for covered veterans:
- Constrictive/obliterative bronchiolitis — a serious lung disease linked to burn pit smoke
- Constrictive pericarditis
- Granulomatous disease
- Sarcoidosis
- Any condition the VA determines warrants presumptive status based on an informal review
Additionally, the PACT Act significantly expanded Gulf War Syndrome presumptive conditions, adding many undiagnosed illnesses and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI) coverage for additional veterans.
Respiratory Conditions and Burn Pits
Even for conditions not specifically listed as presumptive, the PACT Act made it significantly easier to establish service connection for respiratory conditions linked to burn pit exposure. The VA is now required to consider toxic exposure as a factor in respiratory disease claims for covered veterans.
Common respiratory conditions veterans are claiming under the PACT Act:
- Asthma (frequently rated 30% with daily medication)
- Chronic sinusitis
- Rhinitis
- Laryngitis and chronic laryngeal conditions
- Sleep apnea (in some cases linked to respiratory damage from burn pit exposure)
- Constrictive bronchiolitis
How to File a PACT Act Claim
Step 1: Verify Your Service Locations
Pull your DD-214 and any deployment orders confirming you served in a covered location during the covered time period. The VA can also access SCRA records and military personnel files to confirm service locations.
Step 2: Get Your Diagnosis Documented
You need a current diagnosis of the condition you're claiming. If you haven't been evaluated for potential burn pit-related conditions, the VA offers toxic exposure screenings — ask for one at your nearest VA medical center.
Step 3: File Your Claim
File at VA.gov/disability using the standard 21-526EZ form. In the remarks section, specifically note "PACT Act claim — burn pit/toxic exposure" and list your service locations and dates. Because these are presumptive conditions, you do not need a nexus letter — just your diagnosis and proof of service in a covered location.
Your effective date — which determines how far back your back pay goes — is based on when you file. The sooner you file, the more back pay you may be entitled to if approved. Many veterans who qualify are still waiting to file.
Retroactive Benefits
One of the most significant provisions of the PACT Act: veterans who were previously denied due to lack of service connection for covered conditions can now refile. In some cases, veterans may be entitled to retroactive benefits going back to their original denial date. Contact a VSO or VA-accredited attorney to understand your retroactive eligibility.
Calculate What PACT Act Benefits Could Mean for You
Use our pay calculator to see your potential monthly compensation based on your condition's expected rating.
Open Pay Calculator →Bottom Line
The PACT Act is the biggest expansion of veteran benefits in a generation and millions of veterans who served in Southwest Asia are now eligible for conditions they were previously denied. If you served in a covered location and have any of the listed conditions — especially cancers — file immediately. The nexus barrier has been removed. You just need your service record and your diagnosis.