The federal government, through the Department of Labor, compensates workers who develop certain health conditions due to exposure to hazardous substances during their work. The law is called the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 or EEOICPA. For us in East Tennessee, many workers at the Oak Ridge Reservation consisting of Y-12, X-10 and K-25 later developed certain exposure-related illnesses. They can obtain financial benefits in the form of a lump sum of money and a “white card” that is used to obtain medical services, including in-home nursing care. There are benefits available for the worker, surviving spouse, and dependent children of the worker.
Families who collect these funds may also need to apply for TennCare or Medicaid – for conditions not included on the white card or for a spouse, for example. Importantly, these EEOICPA benefits are not “countable” as resources for TennCare or Medicaid purposes. They are also excluded for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) purposes.
These benefits should be maintained in a separate account and not mixed with other money. Records of the payment should be kept as well – the letters from DOL awarding the funds or benefits and a copy of the check and deposit slip – so that when necessary documentation can be easily provided to the agency with an application or accounting.
