Three New Conditions added to the Burn Pit Presumptive List

Today, the VA officially added three new conditions to the Presumptive List for burn pit and other particulate exposure:

• Male breast cancer
• Urethral cancer
• Cancer of the paraurethral glands

The Presumptive List includes conditions that the VA automatically considers service-connected, and thus eligible for disability benefits, if the condition develops after the veteran served in certain locations during specific times. After serving in these areas, the VA “presumes” that the veteran was exposed to things that are known to cause the conditions on the list. 

You can now claim disability benefits if you developed male breast cancer, urethral cancer, or cancer of the paraurethral glands after serving in the following locations during the specified timeframes:

• On or after September 11, 2001 in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, or the airspace above these locations.
• On or after August 2, 1990 in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, or the airspace above these locations.

These additions come in response to the PACT Act. If you qualify and submit a claim for one of these conditions now, the benefits will be back-dated to August 10, 2022, the date the PACT Act was signed into law.

If you applied for one of these conditions after August 10, 2022, but your claim was denied, the VA will review your claim and update their decision according to this new change. You do not need to reapply. 

When applying for Presumptive Conditions, make sure to include all medical evidence regarding the development, diagnosis, and progression of your condition over time as well as evidence of your service in the qualifying area during the required time period. No other proof of service-connection is needed.