VA covers cost of Parkinson’s care for family members of Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune

WASHINGTON — Today, VA announced that family members of Veterans exposed to contaminated drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from Aug. 1, 1953 to Dec. 31, 1987 are now eligible for reimbursement of health care costs associated with Parkinson’s disease under the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program.

These family members are also eligible for health care reimbursement for esophageal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, multiple myeloma, renal toxicity, miscarriage, hepatic steatosis, female infertility, myelodysplastic syndromes, scleroderma, neurobehavioral effects, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“Veterans and their families deserve no-cost health care for the conditions they developed due to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune,” said VA’s Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal, M.D. “We’re proud to add Parkinson’s to the list of conditions that are covered for Veteran family members, and we implore anyone who may be living with this disease — or any of the other conditions covered by VA’s Camp Lejeune Family Member Program – to apply for assistance today.”

Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune are also eligible for no-cost Parkinson’s health care and other VA benefits. Recent studies have also shown that the risk of Parkinson’s disease is 70% higher for Veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Thanks to the PACT Act, the biggest expansion of Veteran health care and benefits in generations, Veterans and their families can also now file lawsuits for harm caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. To apply for health care reimbursement under the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program, visit the program website. To apply for Veteran benefits related to Camp Lejeune, visit VA.gov/CampLejeune.