The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a significant policy change that will make it easier for certain veterans to receive health care and benefits. Acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis, urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers have been designated as presumptive for service connection. This change affects Gulf War Veterans who served in specified regions during the Persian Gulf War on or after August 2, 1990, and Post-9/11 Veterans who served in specific countries during the Gulf War on or after September 11, 2001.

The VA's new approach reduces the burden of proof required from veterans. They no longer need to demonstrate that their military service caused these conditions to qualify for benefits. Instead, the VA automatically assumes a service connection for these illnesses. As a result, veterans can access free health care for these conditions.

"At VA, our goal is to provide every Veteran with the care and benefits that they’ve earned for their service to our nation — and that’s what this is all about," said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. "Adding these presumptives lowers the burden of proof for Veterans to get the benefits they deserve for the conditions that followed them home from war."

This policy expansion aligns with President Biden's Unity Agenda and follows the signing of the PACT Act in 2022. The Act marked one of the largest expansions of veteran benefits in recent history. Since its enactment, nearly 890,000 veterans have signed up for VA care—a notable increase compared to previous periods—and more than 4.8 million applications for VA benefits have been submitted.

Efforts are also underway to support K2 Veterans—those who served at Karshi-Khanabad base—with higher claim approval rates than other groups. Of approximately 16,000 known K2 Veterans, over 13,000 are enrolled in VA health care.

Veterans affected by these changes are encouraged to apply or reapply if they had previously been denied claims. Information on how to apply is available at VA.gov or through their hotline.