Presumptive Eligibility Checker
"Presumptive" service connection means the VA accepts your condition as service-connected WITHOUT a medical nexus opinion. You qualify based on your service era/location + your current diagnosis. This tool checks PACT Act (burn pit), Agent Orange, Gulf War, Camp Lejeune, and Atomic Veteran presumptions.
Your service + condition
Pick your most relevant service era/location and your current condition. If you served in multiple qualifying eras, pick the one most closely tied to the condition.
This tool covers the most common presumptive pathways but does not capture every detail of every regulation. For example, some Agent Orange presumptions have specific date / location subrules; Camp Lejeune requires 30+ cumulative days of service in the affected period. Confirm eligibility with an accredited representative (VSO, claims agent, or attorney) before filing. See VA.gov hazardous materials exposure for the official list.
How presumptive service connection works
Presumptive service connection is a regulatory shortcut: when a veteran served in a recognized "exposure" era or location AND now has a condition the VA has linked to that exposure, the VA presumes the condition was caused by service. The veteran does NOT need to prove the connection medically.
The five main presumption pathways:
- Agent Orange (38 CFR 3.309(e)). Vietnam in-country (1962-1975), Korean DMZ (1967-1971), Thailand base perimeter (1962-1976), Blue Water Navy within 12 nm. 16+ presumptive conditions including hypertension (added 2022), prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, Parkinson's, multiple cancers.
- PACT Act burn-pit / airborne hazards. Post-9/11 deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and others. 20+ presumptive conditions including asthma, COPD, chronic rhinitis/sinusitis, multiple cancers, hypertension.
- Gulf War undiagnosed illness (38 CFR 3.317). Veterans deployed to Southwest Asia from Aug 1990 onwards. Covers chronic multisymptom illness (CMI), fibromyalgia, IBS, chronic fatigue, undiagnosed pain.
- Camp Lejeune water contamination (38 CFR 3.320). 30+ days at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987. Covers kidney cancer, liver cancer, NHL, Parkinson's, bladder cancer, aplastic anemia.
- Atomic Veteran radiation (38 CFR 3.311). Participants in nuclear tests, Hiroshima/Nagasaki occupation. Covers various cancers (leukemia, thyroid, breast, etc.).
Veterans who DON'T qualify presumptively can still file on a direct or secondary service-connection basis. See our claim filing guide for the four service-connection theories.