To get a VA disability rating, your disability must connect to your military service. For many health conditions, you need to prove that your service caused your condition. 

But for some conditions, we automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition. We call these presumptive conditions.

Presumptive conditions are established by law or regulation.

If you have a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

When retained, a Wardell Law Firm Certified VA Disability Attorney's can walk you through the process of filing your claim.

Note: When you file, be sure to state that you’re applying for 1 or more of the presumptive conditions for Camp Lejeune.

• Your military records that show you served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and

• Medical records that show you have 1 or more of the 8 Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions

Yes. If you meet the service requirements for Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to enroll in VA health care. If you have any of  the 15 covered health conditions  listed here, you won’t have to pay a copay for care for that condition.

Here are the 15 covered conditions related to Camp Lejeune:

• Bladder cancer

• Breast cancer

• Esophageal cancer

• Female infertility

• Hepatic steatosis

• Kidney cancer

• Leukemia

• Lung cancer

• Miscarriage

• Multiple myeloma

• Myelodysplastic syndromes

• Neurobehavioral effects

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

• Renal toxicity

• Scleroderma

Note: If you also get VA health care for other conditions that aren’t on this list, you may need to pay a copay for that care.

We may pay for or reimburse health care costs related to certain conditions if you meet all of these requirements.

All of these descriptions must be true:

• You must be or have been a family member (meaning the birth or adopted child, married spouse, or otherwise a legal dependent) of a Veteran who served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, and 

• You must have lived (or have been in utero while your mother lived) at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and

• You must apply for and be approved for benefits under current law

Note: “In utero” means that your mother was pregnant with you at the time. 

We may pay for or reimburse for care related to these conditions:

• Bladder cancer

• Breast cancer

• Esophageal cancer

• Female infertility

• Hepatic steatosis

• Kidney cancer

• Leukemia

• Lung cancer

• Miscarriage

• Multiple myeloma

• Myelodysplastic syndromes

• Neurobehavioral effects

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

• Renal toxicity

• Scleroderma

You’ll need to fill out a Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Application (VA Form 10-10068) and send it to us by mail or fax.

Download VA Form 10-10068 (PDF)

By mail

Mail your completed form to:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Financial Services Center
PO Box 149200
Austin, TX 78714-9200

By fax

Fax your form to 512-460-5536.

You must provide all of this evidence:

• A document (like a marriage license, birth certificate, or adoption papers) that proves your relationship to the Veteran who served on active duty for at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and

• A document (like utility bills, base housing records, military orders, or tax forms) that proves you lived at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, North Carolina, for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and

• Medical records that show you have 1 of the 15 covered health conditions. The records must include the date of your diagnosis and the date you got treated for this illness.

You may also want to provide a report from your health care provider. We don’t require this form, but it can help us determine your eligibility for benefits. Ask your provider to fill out a Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Treating Physician Report (VA Form 10-10068b).

Download VA Form 10-10068b (PDF)

For each claim, you’ll need to fill out a Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Claim Form (VA Form 10-10068a).

Download VA Form 10-10068a (PDF)

You must provide an itemized billing statement from your health care provider with your claim. If you have other health insurance, you must provide a document called an Explanation of Benefits from your other health insurance.

Section 804 of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act addresses people who lived at Camp Lejeune. This law is also called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022.

This law allows Veterans, survivors, and families to file for appropriate relief for harm caused by exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

You (or your legal representative) can file for relief under this authority if either of these descriptions is true:

• You lived, worked, or were otherwise exposed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, or

• Your mother lived, worked, or was otherwise exposed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, while pregnant with you

Note: The PACT Act doesn’t affect VA benefits related to Camp Lejeune. The law does expand VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. 

Learn more about the PACT Act and your VA benefits

You (or your legal representative) can start by filing an administrative claim with the Department of the Navy.

You can follow the Navy’s process to seek an award of relief for your claim. You may also be able to choose the Department of the Navy’s new elective option to get a faster settlement decision directly from the Navy. Or if the Navy denies your claim or you wait longer than 6 months for a decision, you can file a lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Learn how to file for Camp Lejeune relief on the Navy's website

No. Filing for relief under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 won’t affect your eligibility for VA disability or health care benefits.

If the court awards you relief under this law (or if a court awarded relief in the past), this won’t affect the amount of your VA disability payments or your eligibility for VA health care.  A settlement through the Department of the Navy’s elective option process also won’t affect your VA benefits or health care in any way.

Yes, in some cases. Your benefits may affect your award if both of these descriptions are true: 

• A court awards you relief as a result of a lawsuit filed under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, and  

• You already get VA benefits or health care related to exposure to water at Camp Lejeune

The court must reduce (or “offset”) the award by the amount of any related disability award, payment, or benefit we provided to you or your legal representative from a lawsuit. If you choose the elective option claim process, this offset doesn’t apply to you.

VA benefits that aren’t related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune won’t affect your award from a lawsuit.

You can contact the Department of Justice by phone or email:

• Call 202-353-4426 (TTY: 711), or

• Send an email to camplejeune.pactact@usdoj.gov

If you haven’t filed a claim yet for the presumptive condition

You can file a new claim online now. You can also file by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.

CLICK HERE - To File for disability compensation online

Learn about other ways to file a disability compensation claim

Learn how to submit your intent to file

Reach out to the Wardell Law Firm to consult with one of our Certified VA Disability Attorneys. Upon retention, we will help guide you through the process of filing your claim.

805 W. Azeele Street

Tampa, FL 33606

813-387-3333

info@wardelllaw.com

You don’t need to do anything. If we added your condition after you filed your claim, we’ll still consider it presumptive. We’ll send you a decision notice when we complete our review.