Leukemias and Multiple Myelomas NOW on the Presumptive List

Just a week after announcing adding urinary bladder, ureter, and other related genitourinary cancers to the Presumptive List for burn pit and other particulate exposure, the VA again announces even more additions:

• Acute leukemias
• Chronic leukemias
• Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
• Myelofibrosis
• Multiple myelomas, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

Effective tomorrow, January 10, 2025, veterans with these conditions will be eligible to submit a claim for them if they served 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.

The PACT Act, which was signed into law on August 10, 2022, includes a directive that allows the VA to add new conditions to the Presumptive List whenever they feel the evidence supports the addition. 

After reviewing sufficient evidence, the VA has now decided that there is a connection between exposures to particulate matter and the development of leukemias, multiple myelomas, MDS, and myelofibrosis. 

Now that these conditions are officially on the Presumptive List, the VA will grant service-connection to any veteran who meets the service requirements with no need of additional proof. 

If you served in the qualifying areas and have since developed leukemia, multiple myeloma, MDS, or myelofibrosis, you can submit your claim starting tomorrow. 

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.