What is the Energy Employees' Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP)?
This program was established by the Energy Employees' Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) of 2000 to provide compensation and medical benefits to covered employees and where applicable, survivors of employees, who have or had illnesses associated with exposure to ionizing radiation, beryllium and silicosis while working at nuclear and atomic weapons development, production and testing facilities for the Department of Energy, its contractors and subcontractors, and its predecessor agencies. The EEOICP is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy.
To obtain additional information about this program (Town Hall Meeting schedules, regulations, and other district office locations, etc.) and to obtain copies of draft claim forms visit the Department of Labor's main information site.
The Role of the Department of Labor
When a current or former employee or a survivor of a deceased employee files a claim for compensation under the EEOICPA, the following examination and adjudication processes occur:
- Establishment of covered illness and covered employment: This is the issue of establishing that the employee has or had an illness that is "covered" under the EEOIC program. Specific medical information is required to support the existence of a given diagnosis. Department of Labor claims examiners will be well versed in these requirements and be able to interpret the medical evidence. In addition, the claims examiners must develop and determine whether the employment is covered under the Act, by examining who the employers were, where the employment took place, the time period covered by the employment, and the exposures that took place during employment.
- Establishment of relationship of illness to employment: For individuals exposed to beryllium or silica during covered employment, a presumption is made that the beryllium disease or silicosis is related to employment. For individuals exposed to radiation, if the individual was a member of the Special Exposure Cohort and has a specified cancer, a presumption is made that the cancer is related to employment. For other radiogenic cancers, a dose reconstruction is performed by NIOSH. The Department of Labor claims examiners will apply an automated radioepidemiological algorithm to the dose reconstruction and determine whether the cancer was at least as likely as not related to employment. In addition, for conditions that are consequential to covered illnesses, the claims examiners must develop and evaluate medical evidence and determine whether the consequential condition is related to the covered condition. This issue of causal relationship requires examiners to be skillful and judicious in development of the medical evidence.
- Entitlement to Medical Services: Medical and surgical services, hospital services, medicine, supplies, and appliances are available to "covered employees" under this program. Required services will usually be recommended by the claimant's physician. The Department of Labor claims examiners will possess some lay medical knowledge in determining whether such services are necessary, reasonable, and likely to cure or give relief to the claimant. Examiners secure the opinion of medical staff in instances of unusual or questionable requests for medical benefits.
- Compensation for death: Survivors of deceased employees may be paid compensation depending upon their relationship to and/or dependence upon the deceased. Examples of survivors are widows, widowers, children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren. Some of the questions that will confront Department of Labor examiners regarding the issue of relationship are: is the claiming widow the legal spouse; are the claiming children the deceased's children; etc. In addition, Department of Labor claims examiners must be able to analyze and apply state laws to resolve domestic relations questions.
How do I contact the EEOICP Office in Jacksonville, Florida?
Address:
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment Standards Administration
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
Energy Employees Occupational Illness Program
400 West Bay Street, Room 722
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone Number: 904-357-4705
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