The PACT Act of 2022 was the most significant expansion of veterans benefits in decades. For Camp Lejeune veterans and family members, it created new presumptive service connections that didn’t exist before — meaning the VA can no longer deny your claim just because you can’t prove a direct link between your illness and the contaminated water.
What Conditions Are Now Presumptive
The VA established 15 conditions as presumptively service-connected for Camp Lejeune exposure: bladder cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, female infertility, hepatic steatosis, kidney cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, miscarriage, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, neurobehavioral effects, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, renal toxicity, and scleroderma. If you have one of these conditions and were at Lejeune during the covered period, the VA must presume it was caused by the contamination.
Healthcare vs. Disability Benefits
These are two separate benefits and you should apply for both. Healthcare coverage through the VA for Camp Lejeune-related conditions doesn’t require a disability rating — you just need to establish that you were at the base during the covered period. Disability compensation requires a current diagnosis of one of the covered conditions and a service connection claim.
How to File
File VA Form 21-526EZ for disability compensation. In the “remarks” section, note your Camp Lejeune service dates and the specific condition. For healthcare, submit VA Form 10-10EZ. Documentation of your presence at Lejeune (military service records, orders, housing records) is the key evidence — the VA can help pull military records if you don’t have them.
Family Members Are Also Eligible
Non-veteran family members who lived at Camp Lejeune during the covered period are eligible for VA healthcare coverage for the 15 presumptive conditions, though not for disability compensation. They can apply through the VA’s Camp Lejeune Family Member Program.
What if my condition isn’t on the presumptive list?
You can still file a direct service connection claim. You’ll need medical evidence linking your condition to the water contamination — an independent medical opinion from a physician familiar with toxic exposure claims strengthens these cases significantly.
Is there a deadline to file a Camp Lejeune claim?
There is no deadline for VA disability or healthcare claims under the PACT Act. However, your effective date — and therefore your back pay — is determined by when you file. Filing sooner means more potential retroactive pay if approved.
What if I was already denied before the PACT Act?
File a Supplemental Claim. The PACT Act’s new presumptives constitute new and relevant evidence that can reopen a previously denied claim. Many veterans who were denied pre-2022 are now eligible.