What an SEC does.
Normally, a radiation claim requires dose reconstruction — a scientific estimate of your exposure. An SEC removes that step: if you worked at a covered site during the covered window for the required days, and you have one of the 22 specified cancers, the link to the work is presumed.
- You prove the employment (where and when).
- You prove the diagnosis (one of the specified cancers).
- The causation is presumed — that is the whole point.
New cohorts keep being added. A claim denied before a cohort existed can be reopened once your worksite and years are covered. How reopening works →
The Nevada Test Site.
The Test Site has SEC classes covering defined periods of its operation — which is why so many Test Site families qualify without dose reconstruction. Which years, which cancers, and what the benefit is worth: the Nevada Test Site guide →
Common questions.
How do I know if my site and years are covered?
The Resource Center can check your employment against current SEC classes at no charge: (702) 697-0841. NIOSH publishes the full class list.
What if my cancer is not one of the 22?
You may still qualify through dose reconstruction under Part B, or under Part E for toxic exposure. A denial under one path does not close the others.
What is a Special Exposure Cohort?
A group of workers the government has ruled qualify for EEOICPA more easily based on where and when they worked. For the 22 specified cancers, the link to the work is presumed — no dose reconstruction.
Sources: NIOSH, Office of Compensation Analysis and Support · U.S. Department of Labor, DEEOIC.