Camp Lejeune is not one benefit. It is two separate paths with different rules: VA presumptive compensation for eight listed conditions, and a federal court route under the Justice Act that reaches far more people, including family members and civilians who lived or worked on base. A veteran can pursue both, and the deadlines and evidence differ on each.
The exposure window
Drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina was contaminated with industrial solvents between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. Veterans, reservists, and family members who lived or worked there during that window may be eligible for VA benefits tied to certain conditions.
Recognized presumptive conditions for VA disability
Adult leukemia, aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Parkinson's disease.
Eligibility
At least 30 days of service or residence at Camp Lejeune during the exposure window, plus a current diagnosis of a covered condition.
Health care for family members
The Camp Lejeune Family Member Program may cover health care costs for qualifying family members for the listed conditions.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act
Separate from VA disability compensation, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows certain individuals to file claims for harm caused by exposure. These claims are filed in federal court, not with VA, and have their own deadlines and processes.
What helps a VA claim
Service records or housing records showing presence at Camp Lejeune during the window, medical records establishing a current covered diagnosis, and any lay statements that help establish residence dates.
Plain bottom line
If you or a family member lived or worked at Camp Lejeune during the contamination window and you have one of the covered conditions, this is worth talking through with a VA accredited representative or attorney. There are two separate paths, VA disability and the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, and they have different rules.
Before you file a Camp Lejeune claim, ask
- Can I document at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, through orders, housing, or personnel records?
- Is my diagnosis one of the eight VA presumptive conditions (38 CFR 3.309(f)), or does it belong on the broader Justice Act path instead?
- Are family members affected, since the Family Member Program and the federal court route cover them too?
- Do my medical records establish the current diagnosis itself, not just the presence on base?
- Have I talked to a VA accredited representative about the VA claim and, separately, a CLJA-experienced attorney about the court path, since the two follow different rules?