New rules were proposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for certain veterans and their families that were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Some of the key rules that have been proposed include:
- Increasing the defined area for those that lived at Camp Lejeune. Previously, the rules were unclear with respect to the base; now, all veterans and their families that were within “any area within the borders of the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune” will potentially be entitled to make a VA disability claim.
- Setting the number of days (30) that veterans needed to be at Camp Lejeune in order to be eligible. Veterans must have had thirty days, either consecutive or nonconsecutive between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987.
- Retroactively reimbursing veterans for co-payments associated with healthcare treatment related to qualifying illnesses and conditions.
These pertinent changes have only been proposed for veterans; rules relating to their families will be proposed at a later time. Furthermore, the proposals still require a formal process before being implemented. However, if you, your family, or anyone you know that has served in the United States Military services has a question regarding eligibility for VA benefits, please have them call the experienced veterans disability attorneys at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. in Mobile, Alabama.