The Claims Process

Once we have received all required documentation (Medical, and representative forms, etc.), we will file your claim with the Department of Labor. This will be after developing/diagnosing any conditions we are screening for from chest x-rays or other medical documents.

You will receive a call from the Department of Labor resource center to schedule an occupational history interview over the phone. Please schedule this with them. There is no direct need to notify us of the appointment or to have us join in the call, but you are welcome to reach out to us with any questions. This interview will be about your work history, work sites, and exposures. Please thoroughly emphasize any exposures you may have had, including asbestos from old buildings, silica dust (the dust present all around the test site), work in tunnels or mine shafts, and
exposure to welding fumes, diesel exhaust, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, etc.

Within a few weeks of filing, you will receive one or more letters from the Department of Labor stating that they have received your claim and acknowledging your representative. We will receive this letter as well.

Once the Department of Labor has received your claim. they will attempt to verify your employment at any Department of Energy facility you have worked at. This can take up to 4-6 months. They may begin asking for any
information you may have early on in your claim. Please feel free to send us any information you can gather that may be relevant to this request. If any additional documentation is needed from you, we will contact you and advise on how to go about obtaining work history evidence.

At some point, typically after the development of your work history, we will both receive an EN-16 form in the mail. This form is for reporting any money settlements that you have previously received for your claimed
condition. This includes Lawsuits, Workers' Comp., etc. This does not apply to any compensation you received for physical injuries on the job. This only applies to settlements related to a toxic exposure. We will contact you when we receive this form, and sign and submit this on your behalf.

For some claims, the claims examiner will need to obtain an industrial hygiene report to determine the extent of your exposures. The claims examiner will then request an updated physician’s report. We will coordinate a response on this. No action is needed, but you are welcome to notify us that you received this request.

Assuming there are no additional documents required by your Claim Examiner, usually around 8 months after submitting your claim, you will receive your Recommended Decision from your Claim Examiner. Within this packet will be your waiver. We will sign and submit this on your behalf, but feel free to reach out as needed.

The final decision should arrive approximately 30 days after the recommended decision. In your Final Decision packet there may be the EN-20 Payment Form if you were approved for a part B claim. You are welcome to call us for information on how to fill this out. Under a Part E Claim, we will work with you on scheduling an impairment evaluation to determine the amount of compensation you will receive.

Once you send in a completed EN-20 payment form, you can expect your payment within 3 weeks. You will receive an invoice from us which may be before or after your payment is received. You do not need to send us a
payment until yours is received from the Department of Labor and accounted for. This money is also non-taxable, so you should not have fees associated with your claim besides our DOL approved 2% representative fee, and any fees for any B-Readings or medical diagnosis letters.

You should receive a medical insurance card for your covered condition within 3 weeks of your Final Decision. This card will: doctor's visits, medical equipment, medical supplies, prescriptions and home health services. This
card can only be used for your approved conditions. The time taken to develop your claim will vary according to the type of claim that is filed but is typically a process of around 12-18 months. Claims under part E only will typically take longer development time, while part B claims may be settled faster. We will be pursing part E for almost every claim (the general part of the claim for all former Dept. of Energy employees), while part B is only for former Dept. Of Energy employees who worked at the Nevada Test Site for 1 full year or longer. All claims will require an impairment evaluation after approval. We will assist in coordinating this and have the impairment doctor reach out to you to schedule any necessary testing/appointments.