If you or a family member worked at a nuclear weapons plant, a Department of Energy site, a beryllium vendor, or a uranium mine or mill — and later got sick — there’s a federal program that may owe you money and medical care. It’s called EEOICPA, and it’s simpler than it sounds.
EEOICPA stands for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. Congress passed it in 2001 after acknowledging that decades of work at government nuclear and energy sites exposed employees to radiation, beryllium, silica dust, and toxic chemicals — often without adequate protection at the time. The program exists to compensate the workers who got sick doing that work, and their surviving families. It’s still active today, and it’s paid out more than $20 billion since it started.
The program has two parts, and most people qualify under one or both:
tax-free, plus lifetime medical coverage
Covers radiation-linked cancer, chronic beryllium disease, and silicosis for employees of the Department of Energy, its contractors and subcontractors, atomic weapons employers, and beryllium vendors.
tax-free, plus lifetime medical coverage
Covers illness caused by exposure to toxic substances — chemicals, solvents, acids, metals, and radiation — for DOE employees, contractors, and surviving family members.
You don’t need to figure out which one applies to you before you start — that’s part of what a benefits consultant does.
Radiation-linked cancers, beryllium disease, silicosis, and a range of illnesses tied to toxic chemical exposure all qualify, depending on where you worked and what you worked with. If your site has an approved Special Exposure Cohort →, certain cancers are presumed job-related with no dose reconstruction required. If you’re not sure your condition counts, the honest answer is: ask. Many people assume they don’t qualify and are wrong. See who qualifies in detail →
Once your claim is approved, the Department of Labor issues a White Card. It’s the document that unlocks your full medical benefits — 100% paid, no Medicare, no deductibles, no out-of-pocket costs for your covered condition.
A sample card. Yours arrives from the Department of Labor with your own case number on it — show it the way you would an insurance card.
We’ve spent over 10 years doing one thing: helping people navigate this specific program. We verify your employment history, help you file, connect you with Authorized Representatives if your claim needs one, and once you’re approved, help you and your family access the in-home care and caregiver pay you’re entitled to. See how the process works →
Worked at one of these sites? See the facilities we cover →
Call or text us: 937-834-4223. Free consultation. We come to you.
Not sure if you qualify? Call or text us for a free consultation. 937-834-4223
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