Claims Information

If you served at the United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine…

Indeed, personal medical records management can be a bit exhausting. We’ll offer some tips on how to make that easier. In addition, we think this is also a great opportunity to offer a refresher on the claims process as it pertains to Camp Lejeune contamination (many of the steps for other locations through the VA should be similar).

One of our readers asked this questions recently: “FTCA vs Medicare – which takes precedent?” According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, medical bills paid by Medicare for tort victims are conditional payments. If there is a tort recovery, Medicare is required to be reimbursed.

Even more important, chemicals in the vapor can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin at a potency of 5x that of water ingestion. Therefore, exposure to concentrated soil vapor can be even more hazardous than drinking the contaminated water on base alone. This is why a proper and detailed soil vapor intrusion toxicity pathway should be evaluated, considered and included in current or future language.

In addition, the typical language of “limited or suggestive evidence” and “conflicting scientific evidence” that once again surfaces from the VA. As we all know all too well, there is plenty of definitive scientific evidence that shows elevated risks for certain cancers and other health concerns as a result of exposure to Camp Lejeune toxic water contamination.  Four studies in 2014 from the ATSDR reveal this in the military, spouses, children and civilian workers from the base.  The results are neither “limited or suggestive”.  All of those studies can be found here.

On August 6, 2012, the President signed the “Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012” (“Camp Lejeune Act”), which in part provides for medical care for veterans and their families who were exposed to contaminated water while stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Want to know more about VHA guidance on Camp Lejeune water contamination? Take a closer look at the January 2014 Release of the latest “Guidance for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Staff – Covered Clinical Conditions – Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, Section 102”:

The ATSDR responded recently to the IOM review on VA Clinical Guidance, specifically noting errors in guidance and scientific research interpretations.  It also updates and gives an overview regarding 2014 studies and the need for improved VA guidance based on this new research.

While efforts continue to pursue accountability and assistance for civilian DOD employees who faced exposure at Camp Lejeune, there is at least a bit of momentum now for military members and their spouses/families.  It has been over 2 years since the Janey Ensminger Act of 2012 was passed.  Finally, the VA is starting to move in the direction of carrying it out.

One of the missions of Civilian Exposure is to provide resources to help shed light on studies and progress regarding Camp Lejeune water contamination.  For those seeking to dig deeper into the history of the contamination, plus receive updates from the Marine Corps, this site has some additional information that may be useful: