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8 min read 6 stepsMay 8, 2026Verified May 2026

How to Apply for VA Presumptive Conditions (Agent Orange, Burn Pits, PACT Act)

How disabled senior veterans can file a claim for presumptive conditions under the PACT Act, including Agent Orange, burn pit, and Camp Lejeune exposures.

At a Glance

Check Whether Your Condition Is on the Current Presumptive List

~51s

Open your web browser, type va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure in the address bar, and press Enter. The page lists every presumptive condition by exposure category: Agent Orange, burn pits and airborne hazards, Camp Lejeune water, radiation, Gulf War illness, and Mustard Gas. Click through to find your exposure category, then look for your specific diagnosis. If your condition is on the list and your service matches the time and place rules, you are eligible. If your condition is not on the list, you may still be able to file a regular service connection claim with medical evidence, but the presumptive route is much faster. If you are unsure whether your condition is covered, call the PACT Act hotline at 1-800-MyVA411 or visit any VA medical center's enrollment office.

Quick Tip

The presumptive list grows every year as new research links conditions to exposures. Check the page once a year, even if you were denied before. Some veterans qualify after a list update.

Verify Your Service Time and Location Match the Presumption

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Each presumption has specific service rules. Agent Orange in Vietnam covers veterans who served any time in Vietnam from January 1962 to May 1975, including in the waters offshore, on inland waterways, or in supporting roles like aircraft maintenance. Agent Orange in Thailand covers veterans at Royal Thai Air Force bases at U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, Takhli, Korat, and Don Muang from 1961 to 1975. Burn pit presumptions cover post-9/11 veterans in the listed countries, with the start date usually September 11, 2001, and continuing through the present. Gulf War burn pit coverage starts August 2, 1990. Camp Lejeune coverage requires at least 30 days of cumulative duty between August 1953 and December 1987. Your DD-214 lists your service dates and primary locations. If you do not have your DD-214, request a free replacement at archives.gov/veterans.

Warning

Service in nearby countries during the same war does not always qualify. For example, a Vietnam-era veteran who served only in the Philippines does not automatically receive the Agent Orange presumption. Check the specific country list.

Gather Medical Records That Show Your Current Diagnosis

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The presumption saves you from proving the cause of the illness. But you still must prove you have the illness. Gather medical records that show a current diagnosis from a qualified doctor. A VA doctor or a private doctor's diagnosis works equally well. The VA does not require VA-only records. Include pathology reports for cancers, pulmonary function tests for lung conditions, neurology reports for Parkinson's, and similar documentation for each condition. If you receive care at a VA medical center, your records are already in the VA system. If you see private doctors, request copies of your records at the front desk. Under federal law, most providers must give you a copy within 30 days. A clear written diagnosis is the single most important piece of evidence.

Quick Tip

A one-page letter from your treating doctor stating "Mr. Smith was diagnosed with bladder cancer on [date] and continues to be treated for this condition" is often more useful to the rating board than 200 pages of test results.

File Your Claim Online at VA.gov or with a Veterans Service Officer

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Open your web browser, type va.gov in the address bar, and press Enter. Click "File a claim" near the top of the home page, then click "File a Disability Compensation Claim." Sign in with ID.me, Login.gov, or DS Logon. The form will ask which condition you are claiming; type the exact name of your diagnosis, like "bladder cancer" or "hypertension." The form will then ask the cause; choose "Exposure to hazardous materials" and select the specific exposure: Agent Orange, burn pits, Camp Lejeune water, or other. Upload your medical records and your DD-214 if it is not already in your file. You can also file by mail with VA Form 21-526EZ, or with a free Veterans Service Officer at the American Legion, VFW, DAV, or your county Veterans Affairs office.

Warning

Survivors of veterans who died from a presumptive condition can also file a claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, called DIC. Use VA Form 21P-534EZ. Many surviving spouses do not realize they qualify.

Attend Your Compensation and Pension Exam If One Is Scheduled

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For most presumptive claims, the VA will still schedule a Compensation and Pension exam, also called a C&P exam, to confirm the current severity of the condition. The exam sets the disability rating percentage and so the monthly payment. The exam usually happens within 30 to 60 days of filing. The letter will list the date, time, address, and what to bring. Show up 15 minutes early. Bring your full medication list, a written list of symptoms, and a list of activities you can no longer do because of the condition. The examiner will write a report that the rating board uses to set your percentage. The rating ranges from 0 to 100 percent in 10-percent steps. Higher ratings mean higher monthly payments.

Quick Tip

If your condition has visible signs like a surgical scar, fatigue, or a noticeable tremor, do not try to hide them at the exam. The examiner needs to see how the condition affects you on a normal day.

Track Your Claim and Apply for the Toxic Exposure Screening

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Track your claim at va.gov by clicking "Check claim status." The PACT Act requires the VA to also offer every veteran a free Toxic Exposure Screening, a brief questionnaire that records every exposure you remember from your service. The screening helps the VA spot conditions you might develop later and adds the exposure data to your VA medical record permanently. Ask your VA primary care team for the screening at your next appointment. It takes about 10 minutes. The PACT Act also extended the time limit to apply. Veterans of every era can file presumptive claims at any age. There is no deadline. Senior veterans in their 70s, 80s, and 90s are filing for the first time in 2026 and being approved when their service and diagnosis match.

Warning

If your initial claim is denied, you have one year from the decision date to appeal. Many denials come from missing service records or unclear diagnosis dates. Free help with appeals is available from accredited Veterans Service Officers at no cost.

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A VA presumptive condition is an illness the Department of Veterans Affairs assumes was caused by military service, if the veteran served in a specific place or time. The veteran does not have to prove the link between the illness and the service. The VA accepts that link by law. The PACT Act, signed in August 2022, expanded the presumptive list more than any law in fifty years. It added 23 new conditions tied to airborne hazards like burn pits. It also expanded Agent Orange coverage for Vietnam-era veterans, and added presumptions for veterans exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987.

For a senior veteran, presumptive coverage matters a lot. Many cancers and chronic conditions show up decades after exposure. A Vietnam veteran sprayed with Agent Orange in 1969 might develop prostate cancer in 2026, at age 80. A Gulf War veteran exposed to burn pits in 1991 might develop a rare lung condition in 2026, at age 70. Without the presumption, the veteran would have to prove with medical evidence that the cancer was caused by service — nearly impossible decades later. With the presumption, the VA accepts the cause as service-connected by federal law. The veteran can then receive monthly disability compensation, free VA health care for the condition, and survivor benefits for the family.

The PACT Act covers veterans who served in many places. Agent Orange presumptions cover Vietnam and surrounding areas from 1962 to 1975, Thailand bases, the Korean DMZ from 1967 to 1971, and certain US testing sites. Burn pit presumptions cover post-9/11 veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Yemen, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Uzbekistan. They also cover Gulf War veterans from 1990 to 1991 in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and UAE. Camp Lejeune water contamination covers anyone who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987, including family members.

The full list of presumptive conditions is long, and the VA updates it regularly. Major Agent Orange conditions include prostate cancer, bladder cancer, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and type 2 diabetes, among others. Major burn pit and airborne hazard conditions include brain cancer, lung cancer, throat cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma, asthma, and chronic bronchitis, among many more. Major Camp Lejeune conditions include leukemia, kidney cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Parkinson's disease. Find the full, current list at va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/ — the VA reviews it every year.

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Official Resources

USA.gov — Government Services SSA — Social Security Benefits.gov IRS Free File

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