Did your mom or dad work at the Nevada Test Site?
Most of these claims are started by somebody’s daughter. The worker is in their eighties, they are unwell, and they have never thought of what happened at work as something the government owes them for. A family member is usually the one who looks it up.
You do not need their permission to find out what is possible.
A case review is a set of questions you can answer on their behalf: where they worked, roughly what they did, roughly when, and what a doctor has said since. None of it needs their file, their medical records or their signature. It tells you whether there is a claim worth opening before you raise it with them.
Department of Energy contractor and subcontractor employees are covered the same as federal employees, and the job title does not matter. Craft and construction, security, drivers, cooks, clerks, custodians and warehouse staff worked at a covered facility exactly as the scientists did.
The White Card is not a discount. It pays the provider directly.
Families often assume a federal benefit means a reimbursement they have to chase, or a small subsidy against a big bill. The White Card is neither. For care tied to the accepted condition it pays the provider, and there are no premiums, copays or deductibles for the patient.
That is why it changes the maths at home. Care that a family was paying for out of pocket, or doing themselves around a job, may already be covered.
The Department of Labor decides every claim. Alara assesses the patient, coordinates the physician documentation and the home-health authorization, and provides the authorized care. It does not file claims and nothing here is a determination of eligibility.
What the White Card is → When the family member is the one giving the care → Calling from another state about someone in Nevada →
Start with what you already know.
You do not need dates, an employer number or a job title. "She worked out at the Test Site in the seventies, I think for REECo" is enough to start. A nurse fills in the rest.
What people ask first.
Can I start this for a parent without them?
You can start a case review with what you know. Filing a claim with the Department of Labor needs the worker, or an eligible survivor if the worker has passed. The review comes first and tells you whether filing is worth raising.
My mom worked in the cafeteria at Mercury, not with radiation. Does that count?
Yes. Contractor and subcontractor employees at a covered facility are covered regardless of job title — the cafeteria, laundry, clinic, warehouses and offices at Mercury employed cooks, clerks, secretaries and nurses alongside the tradespeople and scientists. If she was on site, her employment counts the same way a driller’s or an electrician’s does. See who else worked these roles.
My parent has already died. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Eligible survivors may be able to claim compensation for a covered illness. The medical benefit covers the worker’s own care, so it does not transfer, but the compensation claim can still be open to a survivor.
They never worked with radiation — they drove a bus.
The job title does not decide it. Drivers, cooks, guards, clerks and craft workers were at the same covered facility, and claims are accepted across those roles.
A nurse reads it, not a form.
A case review is five quick questions and needs no records, no claim number and no appointment.
Or call (702) 814-9630.
Nevada Test Site White Card guide → Cafeteria, laundry and clerical workers → Survivor benefits → Get a free case review →