VA makes another historic move to provide coverage for Parkinson’s disease as a neurobehavioral condition under its Camp Lejeune Family Member Program (CLFMP).
Family members of Veterans exposed to contaminated drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. from Aug. 1, 1953, to Dec. 31, 1987, are now eligible for reimbursement of out-of-pocket health care costs associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Eligible family members can apply for assistance under the CLFMP.
View the CLFMP article in VA News: VA provides care to eligible Veterans’ family members.
CLFMP covers 15 medical illnesses or conditions, including Parkinson’s disease:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects – now includes Parkinson’s disease
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
Addressing the Veteran community’s concern over the historic contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune has been an ongoing priority for VA. The decision to include Parkinson’s disease was supported by the result of a review by the National Academies of Sciences commissioned by VA’s Health Outcomes Military Exposures.
“Including Parkinson’s disease as a covered neurobehavioral condition is a big step toward covered care for both Veterans and their families,” said Dr. Miguel LaPuz, assistant under secretary for Health for Integrated Veteran Care. “This decision helps move the needle to get more family members assistance for those affected by the toxic water contamination.
“If you think you might be eligible, the best thing to do is apply now for assistance. If you have questions about your eligibility, submitting claims or how to get reimbursed for medical costs associated with Parkinson’s disease, contact our CLFMP coordinators at 866-372-1144 for assistance. We are ready to help.”
Visit the CLFMP page to understand who is eligible and to apply online.
What family members need to know
For family members of Veterans (spouses, children and those in utero) at the time of the toxic water contamination (Aug. 1, 1953-Dec. 31, 1987), a CLFMP representative will work with you to clarify what additional documentation may be required to fully process your eligibility.
VA may be able to cover previous medical costs for Parkinson’s disease depending on when you were first deemed eligible for the program. For more information, contact VA’s CLFMP coordinators at 866-372-1144 for assistance.
If you previously applied for CLFMP and were determined eligible for the program, submit the following documents: claim form, treating physician report, release of health information and medical statements, and send via fax to 512-460-5536, or mail to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Financial Services Center
PO BOX 149200
Austin, TX 78714-9200
Resources and support
- Visit the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Webpage
- CLFMP customer support: 866-372-1144 (toll free)
- Camp Lejeune Family Member Program – Community Care (va.gov)
- For Veterans: Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Health Issues | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)
- For Veterans: How To Apply For VA Health Care | Veterans Affairs or call 877-222-8387 for help.
- To learn more about the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, visit Camp Lejeune: Past Water Contamination – Public Health (va.gov) and Camp Lejeune | Camp Lejeune | ATSDR (cdc.gov)
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Does Agent Orange apply to a family member having Parkinson’s Disease? My youngest Son has this debilitating disease.
VA makes online paperwork easy for impacted veterans and families.
As usual, lawyers are looking for questionable cases.
Hopefully the VA will shut out attorneys trying to bring class actions wherein the attorneys get most of the money.
Carrie,
I have to agree with you 110%. There seems to be a plague of not just attorneys making over on the veteran. To many “Vet Help” organizations such as, Attorneys, State Veterans Offices, VA Health Care Facilities, Benefits and Claims organizations, and Veteran Service Organizations, are and have the potential to take the veteran for a ride, so to speak. These organizations nickel and dime the veteran to death, while they use the structure and composition of the VA Laws and Policies to basically commit “highway robbery” on the veteran’s income. Retirement (Military or Civilian), Disability Compensation Payouts, and many other benefits are up for grabs. Some of these “cracker jack” veterans help organizations and businesses, walk into these “help” relationships with intentions that are malicious and nefarious. Examples of this are as follows. Community Care Health Care Specialists that decide to over bill the affiliate insurance companies that network with the VA health care system. If you or your veteran receive any medical, dental, vision, and or mental health services within the community you live in, keep close eyes on the charges on their bills you get. You and the insurance company should receive periodic or final billing with statements of charges. I have had a dental clinic charge the insurance provider for 9 local anesthetic injections at $250.00 a pop, for a deep sedation / unconscious anesthesia maxillofacial surgery procedure. Local anesthetic or lidocaine shots are for procedures you are awake for not deep sedation. I also noticed charges for bone removal necessary for dentures that I didn’t need because I didn’t have these “nodes” that the procedure is called for. I have had Outsourced Providers toss in an x-ray or two that didn’t get done during the exam. Lets not forget VSO representatives who do claims for benefits. The VA themselves, highly recommend using an “Accredited” VSO representative or VA approved and accredited attorney when doing claims. If a VSO representative is not accredited, they can charge you fees for doing your benefits claims as well as non-VA approved and non-accredited pro bono attorneys. My curiosity was inspired by this and I took it upon myself to look up my VSO through the VSO website that I use to represent me with the VBA. This VSO and its representative house their office and conduct their duties at a VA Healthcare Facility in the state I live in. Notice I didn’t name drop on locations or organization names. Here is why. I learned that my VSO representative, by name, in the search engine on the home web page of a National VSO, could not be found and therefore, also not accredited. I question the practice of the VA on this because if these VSO’s are allowed to work directly out of a VA Health Care Systems major location, you would think that the VA and the VSO would want that representative working out of that office to be accredited, certified, and bonafide. Not the VA where I live. I did a search for any accredited representative in this VSO, within a 100 mile radius of my zip code. The result turned up “zero”. Some of these VA claims denial attorneys charge nothing up front and receive nothing if you lose your case. Some will not even touch any awarding of back or retro pays. But the final fees for winning that claim can be like a college student trying to pay off student loans. Phenomenal rates and insane late payment / returned payment fees, even high interest rates that are a skydivers dream. I have even witnessed veterans helping other veterans with claims for anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of the claim payout, that could have been a higher payout if certain details were not overlooked. I am avidly working my own angles at the moment to start an organization that will aid the veteran in all of these aspects made in writing in this commentary as well as a few other services available to the veteran. From the newly transitioning veteran to the lifelong seasoned veteran. I will be attacking Legislation at the national level and rewriting CFR’s and Laws that benefit the veteran in no way, shape, or form. To many policies and loopholes that benefit the VA so they may have the narcissistic pleasure in denying the veteran what they have more than well earned. More to come.