Biden Administration Expands VA Benefits for Veterans With Burn Pit-Linked Cancers

The new initiative adds multiple cancers to the VA's presumptive conditions list, easing access to benefits for Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has added bladder cancer, ureter cancer, acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myeloma, and other genitourinary cancers to its list of presumptive conditions related to burn pit exposure.
This expansion, part of the 2022 PACT Act, lowers the burden of proof for veterans to receive disability benefits and treatment for these conditions.
The policy applies to Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans, potentially benefiting tens of thousands of veterans and their survivors over the next decade.
The expansion is expected to cost $4.5 billion and follows decades of advocacy by veterans and their families to address health issues linked to toxic exposure during military service.
Veterans whose claims for these conditions were previously denied are encouraged to reapply, as the new rules provide broader eligibility for benefits.