In the 1930s and 1940s, thousands of people were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation while working in or living near DOE facilities across the country. In an effort to compensate these individuals after they became ill with certain dangerous medical conditions, Congress passed the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA) and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). These programs provide free EEOICPA and RECA healthcare to eligible claimants, allowing them to receive treatment and in some cases, assisted living and nursing services free of charge. For an explanation of these services, please contact an experienced home health services professional who can assist you.
EEOICPA Benefits
Former government employees who can prove that they became ill with a covered illness and worked at a DOE facility within a certain time period are eligible to receive free EEOICPA and RECA healthcare. There are two main parts to the EEOICPA benefits program, which are known as Part B and Part E. Those who qualify for Part B compensation are eligible to receive a lump sum payment of $150,000, in addition to coverage for all medical expenses. This means that beneficiaries are not required to dip into their lump sum award to pay medical bills, but will receive full coverage in addition to that payment. This option is available to employees of the DOE, including contractors, subcontractors, and atomic weapons employers who have radiation-induced cancer and:
- Developed cancer after working at a covered facility; and
- The cancer is determined to be at least as likely to have been related to their employment as another source, or they worked at the DOE during a certain time period.
Part E, on the other hand, is available to former DOE employees who were exposed not just to radioactive substances, but to any toxic substance, including solvents, chemicals, acids, and metals. The benefits provided to eligible parties include a lump sum payment of up to $250,000, although the exact number will depend on each eligible party’s wage loss and degree of impairment. What’s more, medical expenses are not included in the $250,000 cap.
Free EEOICPA and RECA Healthcare
Unlike EEOICPA, RECA covers not only DOE employees, including miners and ore transporters but also on-site nuclear test participants and those who lived in certain areas near these kinds of sites. Those who can demonstrate that they lived near or worked in one of these facilities and suffer from one of a number of different illnesses can recover a lump sum payment that will depend on the claimant’s status. For instance, uranium miners can receive up to $100,000, while on-site participants are eligible to receive $75,000 and individuals who lived downwind of a test site can recover $50,000. Unfortunately, the RECA program does not offer medical benefits, so eligible participants will need to pay for healthcare costs out of their lump sum payment award. However, free home healthcare systems for EEOICPA and RECA beneficiaries can still be utilized, such as those offered at United Energy Workers Healthcare and Four Corners Health Care To learn more about the healthcare services that you or a loved one may qualify for, please call a dedicated member of our team at United Energy Workers Healthcare and Four Corners Health Care today. We are eager to assist you throughout each step of your case.
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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.