Definition
The Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act of 2021 (HAVANA Act) authorizes federal agencies to compensate affected employees, former employees, and dependents for qualifying brain injuries sustained in connection with Anomalous Health Incidents.
Framework Components
Eligibility Criteria
- Incident Timing: Brain injuries must occur on or after January 1, 2016
- Connection Requirement: Injury must be "in connection with" certain AHIs
- Beneficiaries: DoD employees and covered dependents
Adjudication Process
Per Acting Undersecretary Jules Hurst III's June 20 memo: 1. Application submission via DD Form 3220 to designated email address 2. DCPAS review of eligibility documentation 3. Consultation with OSD offices for incident classification (war, insurgency, hostile act, terrorist activity) 4. For "other incidents," validation through designation letter from applicant or Director, Defense Health Agency 5. Payment adjudication and appeals processRelated Pages
- havana-syndrome-payment-program-2025 — Active implementation of HAVANA Act payment program as of July 2025
- gaov-havana-syndrome-report-2024 — GAO report documenting systemic failures in military healthcare delivery for Havana Syndrome victims