The Claim Process

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-145 

Let’s Talk

ABOUT YOUR CLAIM

Safer • Healthier • People

How can I contact NIOSH?

NIOSH Public Health Advisors are 

available at 1-513-533-6800 or toll 

free at 1-800-35-NIOSH

(1-800-356-4674) to answer your 

questions about your dose 

reconstruction, the status of your 

claim, and your radiation exposure.

Our fax number is 1-513-533-6840

Our e-mail address is ocas@cdc.gov

Fact sheets that provide specific 

information are available in print and 

on the Web at 

www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas

You will receive the 

following from NIOSH:

 A letter with a tracking number and

other information about dose 

reconstruction

 A telephone call to gather 

information about your work history 

and radiation exposure

 A draft copy of your completed 

dose reconstruction report

 A form for you to sign and return to 

NIOSH, which will allow us to send 

DOL your dose reconstruction for a 

recommended decision

 A final telephone interview to 

explain the draft report and share 

any concerns or new information you 

might have about your exposure

 A final dose reconstruction report, 

which will be mailed to you and DOL

Stage 2: Dose reconstruction

The information gathered during Stage 

1 is used to estimate your radiation 

exposure.

Stage 3: Draft report

Once the dose reconstruction is 

finished, NIOSH will send you a draft 

dose reconstruction report and an 

OCAS-1 form to sign and return to 

NIOSH. We will also contact you for 

your final telephone interview to 

explain the draft report and answer any 

concerns you might have about your 

report.

Stage 4: Final report

Once we receive your signed OCAS-1 

form, NIOSH will send your report to 

you and DOL. DOL will use the final 

report to make a recommended 

decision on your claim.

How do we process 

your claim?

Stage 1: Collecting information

After we receive your claim from DOL, 

we begin collecting your radiation 

exposure information. Examples of this 

information include:

N Bioassay records, such as urine tests, 

that measured internal exposure

N External radiation readings, such as 

film badge information 

N Air samples and area radiation 

measurements

N Records of radioactive materials that 

may have been at your work site

N Information on production 

processes and safety procedures at 

your work site

N Information from your telephone 

interview (optional)

N DOE employee information 

(badge information, medical 

records, x-rays, etc.)

N Work history
Important Abbreviations

AWE

Atomic Weapons

Employer

CDC

Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention

EEOICPA

Energy Employees

Occupational Illness

Compensation Program Act

HHS

Department of 

Health and Human Services

NIOSH

National Institute for 

Occupational Safety 

and Health

DOE

Department

of Energy

DOL

Department

of Labor

The National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) assists the Department 

of Health and Human Services 

(HHS) in carrying out its 

responsibility under the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act 

(EEOICPA).

Our role at NIOSH is to 

estimate the amount of 

radiation you were potentially 

exposed to when you worked 

for the Department of Energy 

(DOE) or an Atomic Weapons 

Employer (AWE). Our staff will 

reconstruct your exposure to 

better understand your 

radiation dose history. The 

result of the estimate is a dose 

reconstruction report.

We understand that the dose 

reconstruction process may be 

confusing and involve many 

steps. You and your family may 

have questions about these 

steps. We are working hard to 

make the dose reconstruction 

process as understandable as 

possible. If you have questions, 

please contact us directly at 

1-513-533-6800, or toll free at 

1–800–35– NIOSH

(1–800–356–4674).

What progress has NIOSH 

made in completing dose 

reconstructions?

This compensation program 

was enacted in October 2000. 

NIOSH began completing dose 

reconstructions in June 2002. As of 

July 2005, NIOSH had completed 

and returned 49% of all dose 

reconstructions received from 

Department of Labor (DOL) for a 

final decision about compensation.

How much money will I 

receive if my claim is 

approved?

You will receive $150,000 per 

qualified energy employee and, 

in some cases, certain medical 

expenses.

What is dose 

reconstruction?

Dose reconstruction is an accepted 

scientific method to estimate your 

past work-related exposure to 

radiation.

Whenever possible, NIOSH tries to 

use your personal exposure 

information to conduct dose 

reconstructions. This includes film 

badge readings, medical x-rays, 

urine analysis readings, incident 

reports, etc. If there is little or no 

personal exposure information, 

NIOSH can use information from 

technical documents (Site Profiles, 

Technical Basis Documents, and 

Technical Information Bulletins), 

coworker data (exposure records of 

co-workers who had similar duties, 

etc.), interviews and records 

provided by you, the claimant, and 

other relevant information to fill in 

the areas where the information 

is incomplete.

What if we cannot do a 

dose reconstruction?

NIOSH will notify you in writing that 

a dose reconstruction cannot be 

completed for your claim. NIOSH 

will provide you with information 

about a different means of 

compensation that does not require 

a dose reconstruction called the 

Special Exposure Cohort. Further 

information is available on the 

NIOSH Web site: 

www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas (see 

Special Exposure Cohort).