Benefits Support You Can Count On, Every Step of the Way

The process of applying for benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Program Act (EEOICPA) and Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) can be complex, but Cold War Patriots (CWP) and Professional Case Management (PCM) are here to guide you every step of the way.

Let us help you obtain and maximize the benefits you’ve earned.

Our new Benefits Assistance Program, together with your local CWP Outreach Representative and Benefits Navigator, provides one-on-one expert guidance and support to get your U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) medical benefits white card, and then helps maximize the benefits you receive with that card.

Step 1: Determining your eligibility

We’ll meet with you by phone or in person to determine which program you may qualify for. During this meeting, we’ll review your work history and situation to help identify the benefits you may be eligible for.

EEOICPA provides benefits to specific groups of workers and, in some cases, their survivors who became ill due to exposure to radiation or other toxic substances while working in U.S. nuclear weapons and energy programs.

EEOICPA benefits fall under two sections. Some individuals qualify under one part, while others qualify under both:

• Part B: Covers current and former U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) workers, contractors, and subcontractors. These individuals must have been diagnosed with certain cancers, chronic beryllium disease, beryllium sensitivity, or silicosis. The illness must have been caused by exposure to radiation, beryllium, or silica while working at a covered U.S. DOE facility, an Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) facility, or a beryllium vendor facility.
• Part E: Covers current and former U.S. DOE contractors and subcontractors whose occupational exposure to a toxic substance at a covered U.S. DOE facility during a covered time period was a significant factor in causing, contributing to, or aggravating their claimed illness. Contractors and subcontractors found eligible under Part E receive payment of their medical expenses for their covered illness and may be eligible for impairment and/or wage loss compensation.

Our knowledgeable Outreach representatives and Benefits Navigators can answer any questions you have about which parts of EEOICPA you may qualify for.

RECA was established in 1990 to provide compensation to uranium millers, miners, transporters, core drillers, and remediation workers. To qualify for RECA, you must have worked a combined total of at least one year between 1942 and 1990. Eligible uranium workers may qualify for a one‑time, tax‑free lump‑sum payment of up to $100,000, depending on their work history and covered illness.

Some of the illnesses covered under RECA include:

• Specific Respiratory Diseases
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Silicosis
  • Pneumoconiosis
  • Cor pulmonale
• Lung Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Kidney Diseases

Step 2: Filing your claim

Once eligibility is determined, we help you file a claim through the U.S. DOL or assist you in selecting an authorized representative, also known as an advocate. Our Benefits Navigators will touch base with you every 30 days during the process to keep you informed and answer any questions you may have about the next steps.

Step 3: Accessing your benefits

When a worker’s claim is approved under EEOICPA, the medical costs that are considered common and customary for an approved illness can be 100% covered. You will receive a medical benefits white card from the U.S. DOL; the physician you visit must be enrolled in the program to accept the card and receive reimbursement. The physician will be paid directly from the U.S. DOL. You will have no out-of-pocket expenses.

Step 4: Maximizing your support

You may be eligible for additional compensation and increased care. We review your situation and go over several options to ensure you are receiving all the benefits and services available to you:

• Impairment Evaluations
  • Under Part E of EEOICPA, nuclear weapons workers who have suffered a permanent loss of function of a body part or organ due to a covered illness may qualify for impairment compensation. They are awarded $2,500 for each 1% of impairment, up to a maximum of $250,000. Each approved illness is eligible for an impairment evaluation, which can be conducted in person, over the phone, or via records review with a qualified Impairment Doctor.
• Consequential Conditions
  • If you develop a new illness because of the treatment, progression from the original approved work-related condition, you have developed a consequential condition. For example, if you take steroids to treat your Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD), the prolonged use of steroids can cause diabetes. In this circumstance, diabetes would be eligible for consideration as a covered consequential condition. Therefore, if diabetes is added to your U.S. DOL medical benefits white card, all the health care expenses for your diabetes would be covered 100%.
• Added Conditions
  • Additional diagnosed illnesses may arise after your claim if a different illness has been approved or denied. We will help you file by mail, online, with a paid advocate, or by contacting your U.S. DOL Energy Employees Compensation Advocate Center to begin the claims process.

From start to finish, we are committed to making your benefits journey more supported, clear, and stress-free.

Are you ready to begin your care journey?
Call 877.335.0779, Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. MST.