Camp Lejeune

Camp Lejeune water contamination health issues

If you served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina, you may have had contact with contaminants in the drinking water there. Scientific and medical evidence has shown an association between exposure to these contaminants during military service and development of certain diseases later on. If you have qualifying service at Camp Lejeune and a current diagnosis of one of the conditions listed below, you may be able to get disability benefits.

Are Veterans and their family members covered for health care?

Yes. Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 cumulative days from August 1953 through December 1987—and their family members—can get health care benefits. We may pay you back for your out-of-pocket health care costs that were related to any of these 15 conditions:

How do I get these benefits as a family member?

You’ll need to file a claim for disability compensation and provide this evidence (supporting documents).

You must provide all of this evidence:

• A document proving your relationship to the Veteran who served on active duty for at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune (like a marriage license, birth certificate, or adoption papers), and
• A document proving that you lived at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 days from August 1953 through December 1987 (like utility bills, base housing records, military orders, or tax forms), and
• Medical records that show you have one of the 15 conditions listed above (as well as the date the illness was diagnosed and that you’re being treated or have been treated in the past for this illness)

And you’ll need to provide evidence that you paid health care expenses for your claimed condition during one of the time periods listed below.

You must provide evidence of payment during one of these time periods:

• Between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1987 (if you lived on Camp Lejeune during this time period, we’ll reimburse you for care received on or after August 6, 2012, and up to 2 years before the date of your application), or
• Between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1956 (if you lived on Camp Lejeune during this time period, we’ll reimburse you for care received on or after December 16, 2014, and up to 2 years before the date you apply for benefits)