VetXL Q&A Chat: Environmental Exposures and Burn Pits

VA is considering all conditions established in the PACT Act to be presumptive on August 10, 2022, the date the bill was signed into law. This approach better suits the needs of our Veterans and survivors. Implementing all presumptive as soon as the PACT Act becomes law is a more Veteran-centric approach and prevents Veterans and survivors from waiting years to have their claims processed. We encourage all Veterans who believe they may be entitled to benefits to apply now. For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT. 

HOME Thank you for your service and sorry to hear of your health issues. The Multiple Sclerosis presumption is not tied to a deployment for any conflict. Having been part of VHA's Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence since it's inception in 2003 we have operated under the premise that one had to document symptom onset within 7-years of discharge given the long latency in making a formal diagnosis in a majority of cases. If you can document symptom onset, through medical records, would suggest submitting an appeal to VBA. This link (https://www.va.gov/ms/) will take you to the MS Center of Excellence web site where additional information can be found and to find an MS clinic near you that may be able to assist with your appeal and care.

The PACT Act establishes presumptions of service connection for more than 20 conditions related to exposure to burn pits and certain other toxins, and VA is currently evaluating a list of specific presumptive conditions under the PACT Act. If you believe that you have a condition that is related to exposure to toxins, you are encouraged to file a claim now. VA cannot speak to your specific claim situation in this forum due to privacy issues. If we denied your claim in the past but we now consider your condition presumptive, we encourage you to file a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review the claim again. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] for the status of your claim and so we may provide individual assistance. For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT. 

VA cannot speak to your specific claim situation in this forum due to privacy issues. If we denied your claim in the past but we now consider your condition presumptive, we encourage you to file a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review the claim again. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] so we may provide individual assistance .

For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT. 

Thank you for your question and service. The PACT Act includes reproductive cancers as presumptions. Prostate cancer is included in reproductive cancers. VA will continue to look for connections between burn pits and airborne hazards and cancers of all types. VA encourages Veterans who believe that their military service has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim.

The PACT Act burn pit legislation is specifically aimed at the large industrial burn pits in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations and does not include other locations. VA encourages Veterans who believe that military services has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim. Please see the full set of Agent Orange presumptions on the website at: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/index.asp If you have heart and lung problems some of your conditions may be included as presumptions.

Vietnam is not included as a location for conditions related to burn pit exposure. The PACT Act specifies presumptive locations for Veterans exposed to toxins. However, if you believe you have a service connected disability, VA encourages all Veterans to file a claim. Please contact our national call center for specific guidance at [login to see] or schedule an appointment online at https://vets.force.com/VAVERA/s/

Thank you for your question. The PACT Act does add three new response efforts to the list of presumptive locations for radiation exposures, to include the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll from January 1, 1977, through December 31, 1980. If we denied his claim in the past but we now consider his condition presumptive, we encourage your father to file a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review the claim again. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] so we may provide individual assistance. For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT

Enewetak is included the PACT Act in Section 401. TREATMENT OF VETERANS WHO PARTICIPATED IN CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL AS RADIATION-EXPOSED VETERANS FOR PURPOSES OF PRESUMPTION OF SERVICE CONNECTION OF CERTAIN DISABILITIES BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. VA encourages Veterans who believe that military service has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim.

Thank you for your service and question. The PACT Act burn pit legislation is specifically aimed at the large industrial burn pits in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations and does not include other locations. VA encourages Veterans who believe that military services has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim.

The PACT Act specifies presumptive locations for Veterans exposed to toxins. Based on your question, it is unclear if you served in one of those locations. If you were not deployed to one of those specific locations, in order to establish entitlement to service-connected compensation, three prongs must be met. There must be evidence of an in-service event, evidence of a current disability and a link between the two. When VA recognizes a condition to be presumptively related to an in-service event, the presumption establishes the needed link. This means VA grants on a presumptive basis if the Veteran meets the criteria of the in-service event and has a diagnosed condition recognized to be related to that in-service event. When a Veteran files a claim for a condition that is not an established presumptive for a location not identified in the PACT Act, VA would follow the same procedure of obtaining and reviewing evidence. However, this may also include requesting a medical opinion in conjunction with the exam request, to help determine if the current diagnosed condition is associated with the claimed in-service event. 

Thank you for your question and your service. Please speak with your provider for a referral to an oncologist or hematologist. If you disagree with a claim decision the appeals process is the right path for another review. ,

Thank you for your service and question. After serving in Southwest Asia, the new law creates a list of service-related presumptions which you can find here: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/benefits/PACT_Act.asp VA encourages Veterans who believe that military services has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim.

We encourage you to file a claim. If a Veteran served in any of these locations and time periods, VA has determined they had exposure to burn pits or other toxins. This is having a presumption of exposure. On or after September 11, 2001, in any of these locations: Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and 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), and the airspace above any of these locations. Veterans and their dependents are encouraged to visit VA’s PACT Act website at https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/. Veterans can utilize links on the site to submit claims, and address any questions to maximize their entitlement related to the act’s recent passage. 

The PACT Act specifies presumptive locations for Veterans exposed to toxins. Based on your question, it is unclear if you served in one of those locations. If you were not deployed to one of those specific locations, in order to establish entitlement to service-connected compensation, three prongs must be met. There must be evidence of an in-service event, evidence of a current disability and a link between the two. When VA recognizes a condition to be presumptively related to an in-service event, the presumption establishes the needed link. This means VA grants on a presumptive basis if the Veteran meets the criteria of the in-service event and has a diagnosed condition recognized to be related to that in-service event. When a Veteran files a claim for a condition that is not an established presumptive for a location not identified in the PACT Act, VA would follow the same procedure of obtaining and reviewing evidence. However, this may also include requesting a medical opinion in conjunction with the exam request, to help determine if the current diagnosed condition is associated with the claimed in-service event. 

Thank you for your service and question. VA encourages Veterans who believe that military services has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim. DoD and VA are studying the effects of AFFF and working with other Federal partners to develop the science to advise Veterans like you. The PACT Act burn pit legislation is specifically aimed at the burn pits in Southwest Asia and do not include other locations.