By Michael V. Quatrini, Esquire
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has determined that certain cancers will be assumed to have a service-related connection for Gulf War and Post-9/11 veterans. This lowers the burden of proof for veterans to receive benefits and gives them access to free health care for their condition. The list of presumptive diseases include:
- acute and chronic leukemias
- multiple myelomas
- myelodysplastic syndromes
- myelofibrosis
- urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers
Eligible veterans
- Gulf War Veterans: Veterans who served in Somalia or the Southwest Asia theater of operations (which includes Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations) during the Persian Gulf War on or after Aug. 2, 1990.
- Post-9/11 Veterans: Veterans who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, or Uzbekistan and the airspace above these locations during the Gulf War on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This includes Veterans who served at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) base in Uzbekistan after Sept. 11, 2001.
This Decision makes it much easier for veterans to receive the care and benefits they have earned. At Quatrini Law Group, we recognize the toll that their service may have taken on their health and assist veterans every day to enroll for benefits and improve their quality of life. Contact us online or call 888-534-6016.
