VA Disability Benefits
Who Qualifies:
Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members may be eligible for VA disability compensation benefits, if:
- You lived at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River,
- for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987,
- you did not receive a dishonorable discharge when you separated from the military, and
- you have one or more of these presumptive medical conditions:
- adult leukemia, aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Parkinson’s disease
- Note: having a presumptive medical condition means that you do not have to prove that the medical condition as connected to your service
How to File:
You can file for disability benefits online here. You can also call the VA at 800-698-2411 or file by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained, accredited representative. Find an accredited representative here.
VA Health Care
Who Qualifies:
If you meet the service requirement for Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to enroll in VA Health Care without co-pays, if you have any of these medical conditions: bladder cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, female infertility, hepatic steatosis, kidney cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, miscarriage, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, neurobehavioral effects, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, renal toxicity, scleroderma.
Note: if you also get VA health care for other conditions that aren’t on this list, you may need to pay co-pays for care related to those conditions.
The VA also pays for or reimburses health care costs related to certain conditions for family members who meet these requirements:
- be or have been a family member (meaning the birth or adopted child, married spouse, or otherwise a legal dependent) of a Veteran who served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, and
- have lived (or have been in utero while your mother lived) at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and
- apply for and be approved for benefits under current law
The VA may pay for care or reimburse health care costs related to these medical conditions: bladder cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, female infertility, hepatic steatosis, kidney cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, miscarriage, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, neurobehavioral effects, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, renal toxicity, scleroderma
How to File:
To apply for these family benefits, complete this form.
and mail or fax it to the VA. For help, call 866-372-1144. To get reimbursed for health care costs, complete this form and provide receipts.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA)
The PACT Act of 2022 improved access to health care and disability benefits for Veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service and, as a result, developed serious medical conditions. Section 804 of the PACT Act, also called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, builds upon the benefits already available. The CLJA allows individuals exposed to the contaminated water to file for financial relief.
Who Qualifies:
You can file for financial relief if either of these are true:
- You lived, worked, or were otherwise exposed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, or
- Your mother lived, worked, or was otherwise exposed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, while pregnant with you
How to File:
You (or your legal representative) must first file a CLJA administrative claim with the U.S. Department of the Navy. The Navy has six months to approve or reject your claim. If the Navy accepts your claim and you accept the compensation the Navy offers you, then you waive your right to file a lawsuit.
If the Navy rejects your claim, or if it takes more than six months to process it, you can file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina to receive monetary compensation (called “damages”) for the harm resulting from your medical condition. Lawsuits under the Act must be filed before August 11, 2024. Get directions on how to complete a claim form here.
Filing a Claim Under the Elective Option
Those who file claims with the Navy, who have certain qualifying medical conditions, may be eligible for faster claims decisions under the Elective Option (EO). The amount of money an individual can receive under the EO depends on whether they have a Tier 1 or a Tier 2 medical condition and how long they were exposed to the contaminated water: