38 CFR § 3.307 and § 3.309

VA Presumptive Conditions by Exposure

VeteranHQ publishes 50 presumptive conditions across 5 exposure categories. Each one lists the service era, the service location, the effective date VA applies, and the controlling 38 CFR section or statute, quoted as written.

A presumption removes one requirement and one only: the veteran does not have to prove a medical link between the condition and service. Everything else still applies. There must be a current diagnosis, the service has to meet the requirements below, and VA decides the claim on the evidence in the record.

The newest effective date in this list is September 13, 2023. VA adds presumptions by statute and by final rule, so a condition established after that date will not appear here yet. Check VA.gov for anything more recent.

Presumptive conditions by exposure category

PACT Act
15

PACT Act (Burn Pits and Airborne Hazards)

Agent Orange
19

Agent Orange and Other Herbicides

Gulf War
4

Gulf War Service

Camp Lejeune
8

Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water

Ionizing Radiation
4

Ionizing Radiation

Presumptive conditions grouped by exposure

PACT Act (Burn Pits and Airborne Hazards)

15 conditions

Agent Orange and Other Herbicides

19 conditions

Gulf War Service

4 conditions

Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water

8 conditions

Ionizing Radiation

4 conditions

Frequently Asked Questions About VA Presumptive Conditions

What is a VA presumptive condition?

A presumptive condition is a disease VA accepts as connected to service when a veteran's service meets defined requirements, without the veteran producing a medical opinion linking the two. The framework is 38 CFR § 3.307 (the service requirements) and 38 CFR § 3.309 (the listed diseases). A presumption removes the requirement to prove a medical link to service. A current diagnosis and qualifying service are still required, and VA decides the claim.

Does a presumptive condition mean the claim is approved?

A presumption removes one requirement and one only: the veteran does not have to prove a medical link between the condition and service. Everything else still applies. There must be a current diagnosis, the service has to meet the requirements below, and VA decides the claim on the evidence in the record.

How many VA presumptive conditions are there?

The number changes. Congress adds presumptions by statute and VA adds them by final rule, which is why lists that print a fixed number go stale. Each condition on this page carries the citation and the effective date VA applies to it, so the authority behind the entry is checkable rather than counted.

What evidence does a presumptive claim still need?

A current diagnosis of the condition from a medical provider, and service records showing the service the presumption requires. Each condition page lists the evidence its own corpus entry names. What the presumption removes is the medical opinion connecting the condition to service.

VeteranHQ publishes VA rules and the citations behind them. It does not prepare, file, or represent claims, and nothing here is legal advice or a prediction of what VA will decide.

Understand the whole picture

A presumption settles how a condition connects to service. The rating percentage comes from the 38 CFR Part 4 criteria for its diagnostic code.

Browse rating criteria