PACT Act presumptives

[GBArmy]

The VA has confirmed that all 23 diseases identified in the PACT Act will be considered to be effective the date of the bill passage, Aug. 10. There will not be a "phase-in" of the effective dates that were staggered over several years! He went on to say that the VA will start to process the new claims Jan 1, 2023, which is the earliest possible date for them to begin.

[Dustoff1970]

I just filed a supplemental claim for presumptive Hypertension due to Vietnam Agent Orange and citing the PACT ACT as new and material evidence. VA.GOV website already shows my claim as received as of August 22, 2022.

My Hypertension claim was denied in 2017 or 18 as not service connected.  Beginning in 2011 at Texas VA hospital my VA medical records repeatedly show by VA doctors and nurses notes a diagnosis of hypertension and prescriptions for high BP from 2011 to present day.

Also private doctor and hospital medical records show the same HTN diagnosis and medication prescriptions from 2009 and 2012. The VARO has all this information (copies only of course)

Before the blood pressure medications my BP was very high.

I do not expect a high rating but will be happy with 0% service connection.  P.S. don't tell the raters this. Smiles

Edited September 1, 2022 by Dustoff1970

[brokensoldier244th]

Shhhhhh………

[Tbird]

VA added more than 20 burn pit and other toxic exposure presumptive conditions based on the PACT Act. This change expands benefits for Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veterans.

These cancers are now presumptive:

• Brain cancer
• Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
• Glioblastoma
• Head cancer of any type
• Kidney cancer
• Lymphatic cancer of any type
• Lymphoma of any type
• Melanoma
• Neck cancer of any type
• Pancreatic cancer
• Reproductive cancer of any type
• Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

These illnesses are now presumptive:

• Asthma that was diagnosed after service
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic rhinitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
• Emphysema
• Granulomatous disease
• Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sarcoidosis

Source: The PACT Act and your VA benefits

[john999]

Agent orange does not have that many presumptives.  Hey, we are almost dead and gone so they can stiff us.  VA dragged their feet for 50 years on AO.

[Vync]

@john999And made it worse by saddling some presumptive disabilities for with red tape criteria like "must be diagnosed within 1 year of exposure" and stuff like that... After reviewing many of my father's treatment records from the time, I found those docs wrote as little as possible in the notes...

[john999]

Vync.....you are so right.  Military doctors are also good at leaving off diagnosis and hiding notes.  I went to an Army dentist for TMJ.  He did not even diagnosis it.  He told me the only way treat it was to put bolts in my jaw like Frankenstein.  I claimed it years later and was denied as having no DX and no treatment in the army.