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Veterans and Bladder Cancer

Veterans are at a higher risk for bladder cancer due to exposure to occupational and environmental conditions and hazardous chemicals during military service. Veterans with service-connected conditions may be eligible for VA disability or compensation. A service-connected condition means an illness or injury that was caused by—or got worse because of—active military service. For example, bladder cancer is a presumptive condition for veterans who experienced Agent Orange exposure, those veterans can receive the disability benefits they need to cover their medical bills, their lack of income due to cancer symptoms, and other financial strains.

This page provides veterans with information about service-connected conditions covered under the PACT Act,  legislation for Military Firefighters and PFAs, and veteran-specific bladder cancer educational resources from BCAN.

Visit BCAN’s Advocacy page to learn about actions to help ensure veterans and service members with bladder cancer receive timely access to health care and benefits.

What is the PACT Act?

Read the full text of the PACT Act of 2022

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, or PACT Act, is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. It addresses health care, presumption of service-connection, research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.

The PACT Act  lists health conditions that the VA assumes (or “presumes”) are caused by exposure to certain toxic substances. This law helps the VA provide generations of veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.

The PACT Act was signed by President Biden on August 10, 2022. 

What does the PACT Act cover?

  • Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
  • Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
  • Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
  • Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
  • Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures

Information for Vietnam era veterans exposed to Agent Orange

If you have a health condition caused by exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange during your service, you may be eligible for VA disability compensation. Specific presumed conditions for Agent Orange exposure include:

  • Bladder cancer
  • Chronic B-cell leukemia
  • Hodgkin’s disease
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Prostate cancer
  • Respiratory cancers (including lung cancer)
  • Some soft tissue sarcomas

Information for Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans exposed to burn pits and other specific environmental hazards

If you have any of the health conditions listed below caused by exposure to burn pits or other specific hazards in the air, soil, or water during your service, you may be eligible for benefits: 

These cancers are presumptive conditions.

  • 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
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Reproductive cancer of any type
  • Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

As of January 1, 2025, the following diseases are now considered to have been incurred in or aggravated during active military, naval, air, or space service:

  • Urinary bladder cancer, including overlapping sites of the bladder.
  • Ureter cancer, including the ureteric orifice, and urachus.

These illnesses are presumptive conditions:

  • 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

You may be eligible for benefits for the service-connected conditions listed above if you:

  • On or after August 2, 1990, performed active military, naval, air, or space service while assigned to a duty station in, including the airspace above (i) The Southwest Asia theater of operations as defined in § 3.317(e)(2); or (ii) Somalia; or
  • On or after September 11, 2001, performed active military, naval, air, or space service while assigned to a duty station in, including the airspace above: Afghanistan; Djibouti; Egypt; Jordan; Lebanon; Syria; Yemen; or Uzbekistan

Getting benefits

  • If the VA previously denied your claim and now considers your conditions presumptive:
    • If they denied your claim in the past and they think you may be eligible now, they will try to contact you. But don’t wait for them to contact you before you file a Supplemental Claim.

Military Firefighters and PFAs

BCAN is also lending its support to HR 6946, a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on January 10, 2024, that would direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a compensation fund for military firefighters exposed to PFAs. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAs in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

The bill states that “not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a program and fund to be known as the ‘Military Firefighters Compensation Fund.’”

The purpose of the compensation program is to provide for timely, uniform, and adequate compensation to current and former military firefighters and, where applicable, survivors of such employees, suffering from illnesses incurred by such employees in the performance of duty for the Department of Defense and certain of its contractors and subcontractors due to exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs.

The bill also states that a current or former military firefighter, or the survivor of such firefighter if the firefighter is deceased, shall receive compensation for the disability or death of that employee from that employee’s occupational illness.

More information:

Bladder Cancer Matters: Podcasts for Veterans

 

 

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