VA makes urinary bladder, ureter, and other genitourinary cancers presumptive for service connection, lowering burden of proof for veterans.
The American Legion applauds a recent announcement by VA that would make screenings for certain cancers easier for potentially affected veterans.
On Dec. 31, VA posted a rule for public inspection announcing it is making urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers presumptive for service-connection for 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) on or after Aug. 2, 1990.
• Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, or Uzbekistan on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This includes veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad base in Uzbekistan after 9/11.
This step – which is effective immediately and concludes a scientific review of these conditions that began in 2024 – lowers the burden of proof for these veterans, meaning they do not need to prove that their service caused their condition to receive benefits for it. Instead, VA automatically assumes service-connection for the condition and provides benefits accordingly.
The American Legion has called for VA to increase the number of screenings of service-connected cancers as recently as Resolution 6, adopted by the National Executive Committee in 2022.
“We applaud this step by VA,” American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Chairman Jay Bowen said. “The easiest way to fight cancer is to detect it as early as possible. VA has given these veterans an opportunity to do so. We encourage all veterans who fall into these categories to take advantage of these potentially life-saving checks.”
To apply for benefits, veterans and survivors may visit VA.gov or call 1-800-MYVA411.
- Veterans Healthcare