Three new medical conditions are being added to the list for which veterans may seek presumptive service connection following service in Asia, based on exposure to toxins such as burn pits. These conditions are all chronic respiratory conditions presumed to be related to burn pit exposures, and include chronic asthma, sinusitis, and rhinitis. This development is important to veterans who may have fallen ill with one of the above chronic respiratory conditions within 10 years of their service in the following areas: Southwest Asia from August 2, 1990 to the present, OR Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, or Djibouti from September 19, 2001 to the present, due to service in the Persian Gulf War, because presumptive service connection allows a veteran to establish eligibility to service-connected disability benefits after service without having to specifically show a link between his/her service and disability.
The current backlog of approximately 260,000 cases before VA concerning veterans seeking benefits will be increased with the addition of these three new presumptive conditions, as estimates are that approximately 3.5 million veterans may be eligible for such benefits. However, VA is hiring thousands of additional staff to accommodate the backlog, and the potential for additional access to benefits for veterans is a major step forward for veterans whose service exposed them to such known respiratory toxins.
News of this significant step forward for veterans is also available here.