The PACT Act:

The PACT Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022 by President Joseph Biden. The full name of the law is “The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT),” and it is likely the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA History.   Under the PACT Act, veterans’ health care benefits are expanded by providing an expansion of VA’s health care and disability compensation available for qualified service members and their survivors; and it removes the need for certain veterans and survivors to prove service connection if they are diagnosed with a related disease (for a list of conditions, refer to www.vfw.org/PACTActInfo). Some of the diseases and health conditions include cancers and diseases, and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness / cluster of signs and symptoms that are presumed to be caused by the exposure of these toxic matter substances.

If you have been diagnosed with a presumptive condition, there is no need to prove the veterans service caused the condition. It has already been presumed by the VA to have been linked to exposure and service.

DO YOU QUALIFY? 

Did you perform active miliary service in any of the following locations?  If yes, was it during any of the specified timeframes below?  Were you diagnosed with any of the qualifying cancers or diseases listed below?  For a complete list, you can also click the following link:  https://www.vfw.org/advocacy/pact-act-and-toxic-exposure-information

 

 

GULF WAR VETERANS / GULF WAR ERA:

Qualifying service for Gulf War era veterans means you performed active military service in any of the following countries and appropriate timeframes:

  1. During or after August 2, 1990: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia or the United Arab Emirates or 
  2. After September 11, 2001: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan or Yemen.

The following cancers and diseases are now presumptive of Gulf War qualifying service:

  • Brain cancer;
  • Gastrointestinal cancer;
  • Giloblastoma;
  • Head cancer of any type;
  • Kidney cancer;
  • Lymphatic cancer;
  • Lymphoma;
  • Melanoma;
  • Neck cancer;
  • Pancreatic cancer;
  • Reproductive cancer of any type;
  • Respiratory cancer;
  • Asthma;
  • Chronic bronchitis;
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
  • Rhinitis;
  • Sinusitis;
  • Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis;
  • Emphysema;
  • Granulomatous disease;
  • Interstitial lung disease (ILD);
  • Pleuritis;
  • Pulmonary fibrosis:
  • Sarcoidosis.

 

VIETNAM VETERANS / VIETNAN ERA: Toxic Substance / Agent Orange

Did you actively serve in any of the following locations?  If so, was it during the specified timeframes indicated below?

1.    Thailand, any U.S., or Royal Thai Base, 1/9/1962 – 6/30/1976;

2.    Laos, 12/14/1965 – 9/30/1969;

3.    Cambodia at Mimot, Krek, or Kampong Cham Province, 4/16/1962 – 4/30/1969;

4.    Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), 4/1/1968 – 8/31/1971;

5.    Guam, American Samoa or territorial waters, 1/9/1962 – 7/31/1980;

6.    Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll, 1/1/1972 – 9/30/1977;

7.   Air Force or Air Force Reserve veterans aboard a C-123 aircraft, used to spray herbicides.

8.   The Republic of Vietnam, 1/9/1962 – 5/7/1975;

The following specified diseases were added for Vietnam era veterans:

  1.  Hypertension;
  2.  Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)

More information can be found at https://www.vfw.org/advocacy/pact-act-and-toxic-exposure-information.

NUCLEAR AND RADIATION – EXPOSED VETERANS

Did you actively participate in any of the following risk activities?

  1. Enewetak Atoll cleanup, 1/1/77 – 12/31/1980;
  2. Palomares, Spain, response effort, 1/17/1966 – 3/31/1967; and
  3. Thule, Greenland, response effort, 1/21/1968 – 9/25/1968.

** For a comprehensive list of Veterans VA has recognized as performing radiation-risk activities list of cancers and disease that VA has acknowledged may be induced by radiation, visit https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/radiation/sources/index.asp and https://www.ecfr.gov

Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit | Free Consultation

CAMP LEJEUNE CONTAMINATED WATER

Family members who lived at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina between 8/1953 –12/1987 may be eligible for reimbursement for out-of-pocket health related conditions.

Veterans that served at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina from 8/1953 – 12/1987 and suffer from certain health conditions, including:  kidney; liver; Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; adult leukemia; multiple myeloma; Parkinson’s; bladder; aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes).

If you or a loved one served in the armed forces, and have been diagnosed with leukemia, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, multiple myeloma, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or any other of the health conditions listed above, you may be entitled to compensation.  Please reach out to our experienced attorneys for a free consultation. We can help.