Earlier this week the Department of Labor announced that they are extending the comment period for a set of proposed rule changes to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA). Part of the expanded public comment period is for the newly established EEOCIPA Advisory Board to hear the public comments during their meeting on April 26th – 28th. Public comments will be open until May 9th.

A bipartisan group of Senators wrote letters to the Labor Secretary, Thomas Perez, voicing their concerns for some of the proposed changes in the EEOICPA Process. Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico stated: “EEOICPA has been plagued with bureaucratic hurdles and delays for years, and I’m concerned that the Department of Labor’s latest rule change will just add more steps to the process and make it harder for sick workers to prove a case.” Udall said. “Extending the public comment period is a positive sign, and I encourage all New Mexicans to weigh in. But we also need to make sure the new Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health has a chance to review the program before any major changes occur.”

The proposed changes include many clarifications on definitions with the intention of creating a more consistent process among those who handle EEOICPA Claims. Additionally, some smaller changes regarding signatures from medical practitioners, reopening claims based upon new medical evidence, and more specification on what medical benefits Part E claims will pay for.

To read the complete list of proposed changes, please read the article on the Federal Register. Please note that none of these changes are final or official.

If you have any opinions on the proposed changes please contact the EEOICPA Advisory Board by emailing them at [email protected] or by phone at (202)-343-5580 before May 9th.

Earlier this month Tennessee became the first state in the country to have claimants earn more than $2 billion total from EEOICPA Payments. The Department of Labor considers the money going toward a state if the approved SEC site is located in that state. Tennessee has a large amount of approved SEC sites that reside in the state, many of which were located in or around Oak Ridge.

Approved SEC Sites in Tennessee

• Clarksville Modification Center
• Clinton Engineer Works
• Oak Ridge Hospital
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (X-10)
• W.R Grace
• Y-12 Plant

Having earned over $2 billion for workers in approved SEC sites in Tennessee is a huge milestone. It also means that Tennessee has earned 1/6th of the total EEOICPA distributed funds. In total, the EEOICPA program has paid out over $12 billion in total compensations and medical bills paid throughout the country.

If you or a loved one worked at one of the above plants and has been diagnosed with one of the SEC Approved Cancers you may qualify for EEOICPA compensation. If you have any questions regarding the EEOICPA Process or whether you qualify for funding, please contact us by filling out the form below, via email ([email protected]), or by phone (513) 651-3700.

Our expert and streamlined efforts help improve the speed and quality of EEOICPA compensations. As always, you will not be charged any legal fees unless you have a successful claim.

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The EEOICPA Advisory Board was established by President Barack Obama and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez in July of 2015. After nearly a year of establishing rules, regulations, and recruiting a highly qualified board, they are prepared to host their first public meeting on April 26th, 27th, and 28th of 2016. While the meeting will be open to the public, instructions on you can you participate digitally will be released no later than 72 hours before the start of the meeting.

The purpose of the EEOICPA Advisory Board is to advise the Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, on the technical aspects and ways the EEOICPA program can be improved. Some examples of what they will be working on include:

• Creating a better Site Exposure Matrices (SEM) Database
• Medical guidance for the claim examiners
• Creating stronger consistency between staff, consultants, and industrial workers

The board is required to meet twice a year and will continue to remain open to the public. Please continue to follow our blog to learn more about the first EEOICPA Advisory Board meeting and other news related to EEOICPA Claims. For more information please read the Advisory Board Charter or view the Advisory Board website. 

EEOICPA Advisory Board Members

Scientific Community:
John M. Dement, Ph.D, CIH, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
Mark Griffon, Retired, Creative Pollution Solutions, Inc.
Kenneth Z. Silver, D.Sc., S.M., East Tennessee State University
George Friedman-Jimenez, MD, Dr.Ph., Bellevue Hospital Center, NYU School of Medicine
Leslie I. Boden, Ph.D, Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health

Medical Community:
CHAIR: Steven Markowitz, MD. Dr.Ph., Queens College, CUNY School of Public Health
Laura S. Welch, MD, Center for Construction Research and Training
Rosemary K. Sokas, MD, MPH, M.Sc., Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies
Carrie A. Redlich, MD, MPH, Yale School of Medicine
Victoria A. Cassano, MD, MPH, Performance Medicine Consulting

Claimant community:
Duronda M. Pope, United Steelworkers
Kirk D. Domina, Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council
Garry M. Whitley, Worker Health Protection Program, Atomic Trades and Labor Council
James H. Turner, Retired, Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Facility
Faye Vlieger, Claimant Advocate; Chair, DEEOIC Interim Advisory Board (DIAB)(volunteer organization)

If you have qualified for a Part B or Part E EEOICPA Claim, you may also qualify for acupuncture treatments to help provide relief for accepted conditions. This new update from the United States Department of Labor specifies that acupuncture treatments join with most other forms of medical relief and treatment that are covered for those who qualify for an EEOICPA Claim.

The Medical Bills Process states that “Once a claimant has been accepted for a covered condition under the EEOICPA, an eligibility file is automatically generated in ECMS and sent to the BPA electronically.” The Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation has a bills processing agent in their staff to handle medical bills that ensures that your basic medical needs are provided for, as long as they are directly related to your claim.

To qualify for free acupuncture and assistance with other medical bills, you first must file and be approved for either a Part B or Part E EEOICPA Medical claim. For assistance in filing a successful EEOCIPA Claim please contact us at (513) 945-1939 or email [email protected].

For more information on the Policy and Procedures of the Medical Bills Process in EEOICPA Claims, please visit the Department of Labors online manual. 

The Government Accountability Office has given the Department of Labor suggestions on improving the EEOICPA Process.

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report on how the Department of Labor (DOL) reports on EEOICPA Decisions. The GAO examined three main things during this study:

1. The extent that the Department of Labor follows it’s own procedures, specifically for Part E claims.
2. How the Department of Labor captures new information on links between toxic substances and the diseases that affects them
3. What the Department of Labor’s monitoring states about the adjudication process.

The GAO found that the Department of Labor’s adjudication process generally follows guidance and procedures for implementing the Part E of the EEOICPA program, but there were some inconsistencies in how they corresponded with developments of claims and to the claimants. While the writings did not change the official outcome of the claim, they were worded in an improper way that may have caused confusion with the claimants.

To help fix these inconsistencies, the Department of Labor has begun monitoring its process for responding to Part E claims. The GAO recommended that the Department of Labor takes steps to ensure that all decision letters receive supervisory review. Additionally, they recommended that claim examiners document whether or not they updated certain metrics prior to issuing any decision on a claim. The Department of Labor agreed with the recommendations and is working with the GAO to implement them.

This decision is a small but important change in the EEOICPA Claim Process. To make sure that changes in the EEOICPA Process do not harm your claim, it is important to work with an Authorized Representative such as ourselves. One of the many aspects of our service is to stay on top of all changes regarding filing claims so that you do not have to. If you have any questions regarding your claim or this change please contact us.

A full copy of the report can be found on the Government Accountability Office’s website.

Free Email Updates from the Department of Labor

It can be difficult keeping up with the latest news on EEOICPA Claims. Even though there isn’t new information every day, there is important information that may affect your current or upcoming claim. Let’s face it, no one has the time to check the Department of Labor’s website every day – you have your own life to live! To help solve this problem, the Department of Labor started an email subscription service. By subscribing to the Department of Labor’s free email service you can receive up to the minute news directly to your inbox. If you have other interests you can also subscribe to their related topics including: Women’s Labor events, Congressional Testimonies, Mental Health Parity, and much more.

One of the benefits of working with an authorized representative such as our firm is that we read the news for you. In addition to us subscribing to the exact same email service, we are in constant contact with the Department of Labor and always reading the most up to date news on EEOICPA Information. If there are any updates that directly affect your case, an authorized representative will contact you and inform you of any changes that have occurred.

This also means that we know the most efficient and effective way to help each individual case. While most of our clients have a basic knowledge of the EEOICPA Beneifts, an authorized representative such as ourselves knows every nook and cranny. Our top priority is to make sure that your claim is successfully filed and represented so that our clients can receive the money they deserve as quickly as possible.

If you are interested in receiving up to the minute information on EEOICPA Claims from the Department of Labor, simply click here and enter in your email address.

The Department of Labor has recently released a short video series explaining the purpose and process of EEOICPA Claims. The YouTube videos cover a wide range of topics detailing the screening process, detailed description of Parts B & E, and a statements from various Department of Labor offices

The seven (7) videos will take approximately one (1) to watch. To watch the video series, simply click the play button on any of the video’s below.

Please note that these YouTube videos were created by the Department of Labor and are hosted on their YouTube Channel.

Introduction Video

Former Worker Medical Screening Process

Implementation of EEOICPA

Department of Labor’s role in Part B & E Claims

Department of Labor Office of Ombudsman

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Role in EEOICPA

Ombudsman to NIOSH for EEOICPA

On October 12th the America Tonight program discussed the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Eastern Washington.  The program documented the struggles two workers from Hanford have had with getting compensation and medical coverage through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, or EEOICPA.  

See the report here