No-Cost Services
Types of Home Healthcare We Provide EEOICPA Beneficiaries
Claimants who satisfy the requirements of The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) will receive a lump sum payment as well as full medical benefits to compensate for their incurred illnesses or sicknesses. These medical benefits cover the costs of treatment and prescription medications, but they also cover the costs associated with home health care.
Home Health Care Basics
Unfortunately, many of the illnesses covered by the EEOICPA cause significant health problems that can make it difficult to perform daily tasks, while others can even result in death. For this reason, the federal government covers the cost of home health care for these affected DOE workers, which includes healthcare services that are provided by licensed nurses, registered home health aides, and trained healthcare professionals. The following are home health care services provided free to beneficiaries of the EEOICPA:
- Regular examinations conducted by licensed nurses, which includes monitoring a patient’s vital signs, heart rate, and lung capacity;
- Providing a professional assessment of a patient’s health status;
- Communicating with a patient’s physician and pharmacy;
- Monitoring prescription medication effectiveness and side-effects;
- Help with daily tasks, such as bathing, using the bathroom, walking, and preparing meals;
- Physical therapy services;
- Radiation therapy;
- Managing paperwork and documentation required by the Department of Labor (DOL); and
- Providing a physical and emotional respite for a patient’s family.
Personal Caregivers
Personal caregivers are common instrumentation in the operation of home health care programs, especially in helping patients perform daily tasks, meal preparation, and light housekeeping. Many programs even offer training to family members so that they can become certified home health care givers for their loved ones. Without this certification, the services of family members are not reimbursable under the EEOICPA.
Licensed registered nurses are vital to monitoring a patient’s health and administering medication. This preventive care can help medical professionals catch adverse reactions to medications or other types of medical complications at an early stage and thusly prevent serious injury.
The nursing staff also work closely with each patient’s primary care doctor, the federal government, and the patient’s family to create a care plan. This care plan is often implemented by a team of case managers, nurses, home aids, social workers, dietitians, chaplains, and respiratory therapists so that the full range of a patient’s needs can be met.. The most common needs provided in these home health services include:
- Comfort level;
- Emotional well-being;
- Independence and ability to complete daily tasks; and
- Nutritional and medical needs.
In meeting these needs, home health care programs have proven to be effective at decreasing a family’s stress level, improve a patient’s quality of life, and decreasing the rate of hospitalizations. Home health services have also resulted in other improvements in patient’s overall emotional and physical health, allowing them to obtain treatment while remaining in their own homes.
These services can make all the difference in a patient’s ability to enjoy his or her life with the least amount of pain and stress possible. Families can also gain the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a loved one is receiving the best care available. These services are provided free of charge by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) in recognition of the many workers who have become ill as a result of exposure to deadly radioactive materials. To begin receiving the home health care that you or a loved one deserves, it is important to begin the process of filing a claim as soon as possible.
Who We Serve
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In order to be eligible for EEOICPA/RECA benefits, an individual must have been employed at a covered Department of Energy facility, an approved atomic weapons facility, or at a permitted beryllium vendor. An individual must also have one of the covered conditions as a result of exposure to radiation, beryllium, or silica while employed at an accepted facility. In addition, uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters are eligible for benefits if they develop an illness as a result of exposure to toxic substances (such as radiation, chemicals, solvents, acids, and metals) and worked at a facility covered under RECA. Eligibility requirements vary by location and condition.