What Are the Top 5 Most Common PACT Act Claims?

According to VA’s 2026 Annual Benefits Report (based on FY2025 data released in April 2026), the most frequently claimed conditions on PACT Act-related claims are: hypertensive vascular disease (about 749,887 claims), allergic rhinitis (556,699 claims), maxillary sinusitis (279,998 claims), bronchial asthma (248,770 claims), and chronic bronchitis (145,793 claims).

Grants of service connection by VA vary widely, from 75 percent for allergic rhinitis to 21 percent for chronic bronchitis.

In this article, you will learn more about these common PACT Act claims, as well as the most frequent reasons the Department of Veterans Affairs will deny such a claim.

Key points of this article include:

• The most common VA PACT Act claims are for hypertensive vascular disease, allergic rhinitis, maxillary sinusitis, bronchial asthma, and chronic bronchitis.
• VA most frequently denies PACT Act claims when veterans lack the evidence to prove a clinical diagnosis, an in-service cause for their condition, or that their service qualifies for the presumption.
• For veterans whose PACT Act claims are denied, it is possible to appeal VA’s decision and potentially get the claim granted.

Watch CCK Law Partner Bradley Hennings discuss the top five most common PACT Act claims:

How Often Are Hypertensive Vascular Disease PACT Act Claims Granted?

Per VA data, about 749,887 veterans have filed disability claims for hypertensive vascular disease under the PACT Act, making it the most common PACT Act claim. About 58 percent of these claims are granted by VA.

Symptoms of hypertensive vascular disease often only manifest after long periods of hypertension in the body. Some of these symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Dizziness or fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Fatigue

Under 38 CFR § 4.104, it is possible to earn VA disability ratings of 10, 20, 40, or 60 percent for hypertensive vascular disease.

How Often Are Allergic Rhinitis PACT Act Claims Granted?

As of March 2026, roughly 556,699 veterans have filed allergic rhinitis disability claims under the PACT Act, making this the second most common PACT Act claim. About 75 percent of allergic rhinitis claims were granted, giving this condition the highest grant rate of the five most common PACT Act claims.

Per data from, almost 820,000 veterans are currently receiving VA disability compensation for allergic rhinitis, making it the most prevalent respiratory disability among veterans overall.

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis often occur immediately upon exposure to an allergen. However, some symptoms (e.g., excessive fatigue) may only occur after long-term exposure.

Common symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:

• Sneezing and coughing
• A sore or scratchy throat
• Nasal congestion
• Runny nose and post-nasal drip
• Itchy/watery eyes
• Frequent headaches
• Fatigue

Under 38 CFR § 4.97, VA offers potential disability ratings of 10 or 30 percent for allergic rhinitis.

How Often Are Maxillary Sinusitis PACT Act Claims Granted?

According to VA, about 279,998 veterans have filed claims for maxillary sinusitis under the PACT Act, placing it third among the most common PACT Act claims. Of these claims, about 49 percent were granted by VA.

Many veterans suffer from maxillary sinusitis, with about 275,306 veterans overall being granted compensation for the disorder, according to VA’s 2025 Annual Benefits Report. This makes it one of the most common PACT Act claims and the third-most prevalent respiratory condition among veterans.

Symptoms of maxillary sinusitis sometimes include:

• Thick nasal discharge and runny nose
• Postnasal drip
• Sinus pain (usually felt around the cheeks, eyes, or forehead, and worsened by bending forward)
• Congestion
• Ear pain

VA has possible ratings of 0, 10, 30, and 50 percent for sinusitis.

How Often Are Bronchial Asthma PACT Act Claims Granted?

Bronchial asthma is the fourth most common PACT Act claim, with about 248,770 veterans filing disability claims under the PACT Act for the disorder. Of these claims, around 43 percent were granted.

Bronchial asthma symptoms include:

• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Trouble sleeping (often due to breathing issues)

VA offers disability ratings of 10, 30, 60, and 100 percent for bronchial asthma.

How Often Are Chronic Bronchitis PACT Act Claims Granted?

According to VA’s April 2026 PACT Act Dashboard, roughly 145,793 veterans have filed PACT Act-related claims for chronic bronchitis, of which about 21 percent were granted.

Though chronic bronchitis is the fifth-most common PACT Act claim, veterans may notice that its grant rate is much lower than the grant rates for conditions higher on this list like allergic rhinitis (75 percent). Bradley Hennings, partner at CCK Law, offers possible reasoning for this:

“Some conditions are easier to diagnose and document than others,” says Hennings. “Chronic bronchitis, for example, can overlap with other respiratory conditions, and the medical evidence is often harder to pin down.”

In other words, the complexity involved in chronic bronchitis claims may lead to its lower grant rate when compared to conditions like allergic rhinitis or maxillary sinusitis.

The symptoms of chronic bronchitis can be quite serious, and the condition is often associated with COPD. Some of these symptoms include:

• Persistent cough, which often produces mucus
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or discomfort

Depending on symptom severity, veterans can earn ratings of 10, 30, 60, or 100 percent for chronic bronchitis.

Why Does VA Deny PACT Act Claims?

VA’s April 2026 PACT Act Dashboard lists the three top reasons that PACT Act claims are denied:

• No diagnosis — The veteran lacks an official clinical diagnosis for their claimed condition, which is usually necessary for a successful disability claim.
• Not incurred or not caused by service — In cases like these, VA has determined that the veteran’s claimed condition did not occur during military service nor was it caused by service, leading to a denial.
• Not established by presumption — Sometimes, veterans may fail to prove that they meet the criteria to earn presumptive service connection (i.e., they do not supply VA with the proper qualifying service dates or locations). In these cases, VA denies the claim on the basis that the presumption does not apply.

Each of these denial reasons has its roots in a veteran not supplying VA with enough evidence. Therefore, to maximize their chances of a granted claim, veterans should be sure to provide as much relevant evidence as possible alongside their PACT Act claim.

“The presumption of service connection under the PACT Act is powerful, but it is not automatic,” says Bradley Hennings. “If you have filed a PACT Act claim, especially for a condition with a lower grant rate, do not assume that the presumption alone will carry it. Targeted medical evidence connecting your diagnosis to your specific exposure can make a difference.”

Watch CCK Law Supervising Attorney Alyse Phillips and VA-Accredited Claims Advocate Nicholas Briggs discuss what to do if VA denies your PACT Act claim:

What Can I Do If VA Denies My PACT Act Claim?

For veterans whose PACT Act claims were denied, it is possible to appeal VA’s decision and potentially have that denial overturned and the claim granted. Generally, veterans have three options for filing an appeal:

• Supplemental Claim — Where new evidence is allowed to be submitted and the claim reexamined. Since PACT Act claims are often denied due to lack of evidence, this is an important option to consider.
• Higher-Level Review — Where the veteran requests that a more senior VA official review a disability claim in order to potentially issue a new decision.
• Board Appeal — Where the veteran appeals directly to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) to make a decision on the claim.

For veterans looking to appeal a PACT Act claim denial, it is important to remember that appeals must generally be filed within one year of the date listed on the VA rejection letter.

Filing an appeal within that one-year period allows veterans to keep their effective date and potentially earn more back pay in the event that their claimed condition becomes service connected.

Want To Appeal a PACT Act Denial? Consider a VA-Accredited Attorney

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to prove toxic exposure to file a PACT Act claim?

No, not for conditions on VA’s presumptive list. Because VA presumes exposure occurred for veterans who served in a qualifying location and time period, these veterans do not need to submit separate evidence proving toxic exposure. Veterans should still submit proof of a current diagnosis and their relevant service dates and locations, since VA denies a claim when the record does not establish that these presumptive criteria are met.

How long does VA take to decide a PACT Act claim?

As of March 2026, VA reports that PACT Act-related claims take an average of about 150 days to complete, with about 47 percent of these claims decided within 125 days. Veterans should remember that processing times will vary significantly, however, depending on claim complexity and how much evidence VA needs to review.

Is there still a deadline to file a PACT Act claim?

No, veterans can file a PACT Act claim at any time, since there is no general filing deadline. However, veterans who file or submit an intent to file today will typically only receive benefits starting from that date, since the deadline to receive retroactive benefits back to August 10, 2022, when the PACT Act became law, was August 14, 2023, and has already passed.

Can I add a new PACT Act condition to a claim I already have?

Yes, veterans can generally add a new condition to a VA disability claim that has not yet been decided. However, adding a condition to a pending claim can slow down the entire claim, since VA may need to gather separate evidence for the new condition before deciding any of them. Veterans who want their existing conditions decided quickly often file a new, separate claim for the additional condition instead.