Benefits for Family Members of Veterans Stationed at Camp Lejeune
Veterans and their families living at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water containing chemicals thought to cause adverse health effects.
What Benefits am I Entitled to as a Camp Lejeune Family Member?
Healthcare benefits are provided to qualified Camp Lejeune family members who have developed certain conditions as a result of contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune under The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. VA defines the area of Camp Lejeune to include anywhere within the borders of U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River.
VA provides reimbursement for out-of-pocket healthcare costs for veterans’ family members, including children in utero, who resided at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. To be eligible for medical cost reimbursement, family members must have been living at Camp Lejeune for a minimum of 30 days cumulatively during the aforementioned time frame and must have developed one of the 15 qualifying health conditions listed within the next section of this post.
Which Health Conditions are Covered by the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012?
Unless medical evidence proves that your condition was caused by another factor, VA should provide reimbursement to a veteran’s eligible family member for treatment of the following conditions:
- Lung Cancer
- Esophageal Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Leukemia
- Multiple Myeloma
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- Renal Toxicity
- Hepatic Steatosis
- Female Infertility
- Miscarriage
- Scleroderma
- Neurobehavioral Effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
What Type of Evidence Should I Provide to VA to Take Part in the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program?
In order to receive reimbursement for costs incurred during the treatment of a qualified condition listed above, you must first apply to the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program by completing VA Form 10-10068: Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Application and submitting it to VA, or you can do so online. VA will require you to submit evidence proving your eligibility for the program, such as:
- Marriage license or birth certificate that shows a dependent relationship to a veteran who was stationed at Camp Lejeune
- Proof that you lived at the base for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. Such proof can include base housing records, military orders, utility bills, or tax forms.
- Medical records proving that you paid medical expenses for one of the qualifying conditions above, “respective to the following date ranges:”
- Dependents who lived at Camp Lejeune between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987 can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred on or after August 6, 2012
- Dependents living at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1956 can have medical expenses incurred due to a qualifying condition reimbursed for care received on or after December 16. 2014
- VA Form 10-10068b: Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Treating Physician Report completed by your doctor.
