The PACT Act: Who Qualifies, What's Covered, and How to File
Last updated: September 2026
The PACT Act is one of the biggest expansions of VA benefits in decades. If you served near burn pits, in the Gulf War, in Vietnam-era locations, or in certain nuclear cleanup operations, it may open the door to VA health care and disability compensation. It may also help your family if you've passed away from a covered condition.
This guide explains who qualifies, which conditions are covered, and how to file.
What the PACT Act Does
The full name of the law is the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act. It was signed on August 10, 2022. According to VA, it does five main things. It expands VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures and for Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 veterans. It adds more than 20 presumptive conditions tied to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxins, and adds new presumptive locations for Agent Orange and radiation. It requires VA to offer toxic exposure screenings to every enrolled veteran. And it funds research and training on toxic exposures.
The key idea is the presumption. For most disability claims, you have to prove your service caused your condition. For a presumptive condition, VA assumes the connection as long as you meet the service requirements, like serving in a covered location during a covered time. That removes one of the hardest parts of a claim.
You'll still need a current diagnosis. The presumption covers the link between service and your condition, not whether you have the condition.
Who Qualifies: Gulf War and Post-9/11 Veterans
VA presumes you were exposed to burn pits and other toxins if you served in certain locations during certain periods. The dates matter, and they aren't the same for every country.
| Served on or after August 2, 1990, in: | Served on or after September 11, 2001, in: |
|---|---|
| Bahrain | Afghanistan |
| Iraq | Djibouti |
| Kuwait | Egypt |
| Oman | Jordan |
| Qatar | Lebanon |
| Saudi Arabia | Syria |
| Somalia | Uzbekistan (including Karshi-Khanabad, or K2) |
| United Arab Emirates | Yemen |
| Airspace above any of these | Airspace above any of these |
The PACT Act made these cancers presumptive for veterans who served in those locations: brain cancer, glioblastoma, kidney cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, and lymphoma of any type. It also covers gastrointestinal, head, neck, reproductive, and respiratory cancers of any type.
These respiratory illnesses are presumptive too: asthma diagnosed after service, chronic bronchitis, COPD, chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, constrictive or obliterative bronchiolitis, emphysema, granulomatous disease, interstitial lung disease, pleuritis, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis.
VA has added more since the law passed. In January 2025, VA made acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myelofibrosis presumptive for these same veterans. It also added urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers. If you were denied for one of these before 2025, it's worth filing again.
A deadline to know about: Gulf War veterans have long had a separate presumption for "undiagnosed illnesses" and certain medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses, like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Under current rules, the condition must become at least 10% disabling by December 31, 2026. That date is about when the condition shows up and becomes disabling, not when you file. If you've been putting off a claim for symptoms like these, talk to a VSO soon.
Who Qualifies: Vietnam-Era Veterans
Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam have been covered for Agent Orange conditions for years. The PACT Act added two new Agent Orange presumptive conditions: high blood pressure (hypertension) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). These join the existing Agent Orange list, which includes type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease, prostate cancer, and several other cancers and illnesses. You can find the full list on VA's Agent Orange page.
The PACT Act also added five new locations where VA presumes Agent Orange exposure:
| Location | Dates of service |
|---|---|
| Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand | Jan. 9, 1962 – June 30, 1976 |
| Laos | Dec. 1, 1965 – Sept. 30, 1969 |
| Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia | April 16 – April 30, 1969 |
| Guam or American Samoa, or their territorial waters | Jan. 9, 1962 – July 31, 1980 |
| Johnston Atoll, or a ship that called there | Jan. 1, 1972 – Sept. 30, 1977 |
If you served in the waters off Vietnam, you're likely covered too, but that coverage comes from the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, not the PACT Act.
Who Qualifies: Radiation Cleanup Veterans
The PACT Act added three radiation response efforts to VA's list of presumptive locations:
The cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, from January 1, 1977, through December 31, 1980
The cleanup after a B-52 crash off Palomares, Spain, from January 17, 1966, through March 31, 1967
The response to a B-52 fire near Thule Air Force Base in Greenland, from January 21 to September 25, 1968
If you took part in any of these, VA presumes you were exposed to radiation. You may qualify for benefits for radiation-related conditions, including certain cancers.
Getting VA Health Care Under the PACT Act
You don't need a disability rating or a pending claim to get VA health care under the PACT Act. Starting March 5, 2024, VA expanded health care eligibility years earlier than the law required. According to VA, you can enroll now if you meet the basic service and discharge requirements and any of these apply: you served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11; you deployed in support of the Global War on Terror; or you were exposed to toxins or other hazards during military service at home or abroad.
That last group is broader than many veterans realize. It includes exposure during training or stateside service, such as burn pits, chemicals, radiation, or other occupational hazards. You can apply for VA health care online, by phone, or in person at a VA facility.
Toxic exposure screenings are part of this. Every veteran enrolled in VA health care gets an initial screening and a follow-up at least once every five years. The screening asks about burn pits, Gulf War exposures, Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune water, and other hazards. It then connects you to registries, benefits, and care. You can ask for one at your next appointment or schedule one by video through VET-HOME.
How to File a PACT Act Disability Claim
Filing a PACT Act claim uses the same process as any VA disability claim. Here's how to approach it:
Submit an intent to file if you need time to gather records. It sets your potential start date for back pay, and you generally have one year to file the full claim. You can do this online at VA.gov.
Gather your service records. Your DD-214 and personnel records should show where and when you served. If you don't have them, you can request them through the National Archives or milConnect.
Gather medical evidence showing a current diagnosis of the condition you're claiming. For presumptive conditions, you don't need a doctor to say your service caused it.
File VA Form 21-526EZ online, by mail, or in person. An accredited VSO can file for you at no cost.
Attend any exams VA schedules and respond quickly to requests for more information.
If VA denied your claim in the past for a condition that's now presumptive, you can file a Supplemental Claim. VA says it will try to contact veterans it thinks may now be eligible, but you don't have to wait for that. If your claim was still pending when VA added a new presumptive condition, you don't need to do anything. VA will apply the new presumption when it decides your claim.
How long will it take? That depends on the claim. In its first year, VA completed more than 458,000 PACT Act-related claims. My guide to how long a VA claim takes covers current timelines and how to avoid delays. If you want to see what VA has in your file, you can also request your C-file.
Benefits for Survivors
If a veteran died from a condition that's now presumptive under the PACT Act, their family may qualify for benefits, even if the veteran died before the law passed.
The main benefit is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a monthly, tax-free payment for eligible surviving spouses, dependent children, and some parents of veterans who died from a service-connected condition. VA may also pay accrued benefits, meaning money it owed the veteran at the time of death. Surviving spouses and children of wartime veterans may qualify for a needs-based Survivors Pension. If your DIC claim was denied in the past and the cause of death is now presumptive, you can reapply. You can learn more about DIC on VA.gov.
Survivors may also qualify for education benefits through the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program. They may also qualify for health care through CHAMPVA, a VA home loan (for surviving spouses), and burial benefits. The old version of this post mentioned the Fry Scholarship here. Fry generally covers families of service members who died in the line of duty, so most PACT Act survivors will use DEA instead.
Common Problems and How to Handle Them
Missing service records. If your records don't clearly show your location, gather other proof: deployment orders, award citations, evaluations, unit records, or letters home with dates. The 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center destroyed many older Army and Air Force records. If yours were affected, VA can help reconstruct them from other sources.
No current diagnosis. A presumption only helps if you have the condition. If you have symptoms but no diagnosis, start with a medical exam, either through VA health care (which you may now qualify for) or your own doctor.
Your condition isn't on the list. You can still file for direct service connection. You'll need medical evidence, usually a doctor's opinion, linking your condition to your service. It's harder, but many veterans win these claims. An accredited VSO can help you build the evidence.
Scammers and "claim sharks." Be careful with anyone who charges an upfront fee to file a PACT Act claim or promises a specific rating. Filing your initial claim should never cost you anything. Accredited VSOs, claims agents, and attorneys are listed on VA's accreditation search.
A denial. Read the decision letter carefully. It explains why VA denied the claim and what evidence was missing. You can file a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, request a Higher-Level Review, or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
Where to Get Help
VA runs a PACT Act line at 800-698-2411. Accredited VSOs like the American Legion, VFW, DAV, and Vietnam Veterans of America help with claims for free, as does your county or state veterans service office. You can check your claim status on VA.gov or through the VA: Health and Benefits mobile app. The old eBenefits site has been retired.
Conclusion
The PACT Act represents a monumental victory for veterans who have long fought for recognition of their service-connected toxic exposures. The PACT Act has no end date. You can file anytime, and the sooner you file, the sooner benefits can start. If you served in a covered location, enroll in VA health care and get a toxic exposure screening, even if you feel fine now. If you have a covered condition, or were denied before, file a claim or at least submit an intent to file today. And if you're a survivor of a veteran who died from one of these conditions, look into DIC. It may be available to you even if earlier claims were denied.
Not sure what your next step should be? The claims process has a lot of moving parts, and you don't have to sort through them alone. Schedule a free consultation to talk through the process, and we'll help you connect with a VSO in your area.
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