The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has expanded access to benefits for veterans suffering from cancers possibly linked to burn pits used for waste disposal on military bases.
The VA said on Wednesday that it has added several types of cancers to its list of presumptive medical conditions. This means veterans no longer have to prove their cancer was caused by their military service to qualify for benefits. Instead, the VA automatically assumes a connection and provides benefits accordingly.
The expanded list applies to veterans who deployed to the Middle East and Central Asia during the Gulf War and after Sept. 11, 2001. It now includes acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis, and cancers of the bladder and urinary tract….