Learning Hub
Federal benefits, explained.
Most families never claim the full scope of what they have earned. These are the terms that matter for home health, reviewed by a nurse and linked to the federal source. They are grouped by program, so you can read the family of benefits you came for.
Compare the programs
Which program is yours, side by side.
Five programs pay for home health, each in a different situation. Find the row that sounds like you, then read that guide.
| Program | Who it’s for | What triggers it | Cash compensation | What it covers at home | Your cost | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Card (EEOICPA) | Nevada Test Site, DOE, or atomic-weapons workers — in any job — and their survivors | Worked at a covered site and later became ill | Up to $400,000, tax-free (lump sums plus impairment) | Nursing, therapy, home health aide, social work, caregiver training, equipment, home changes, travel | No cost to you | None — you can file or reopen anytime |
| OWCP / FECA | Federal and postal employees with a work injury or illness | OWCP accepts the claim and a physician orders care | Wage-loss and medical benefits (set by your claim) | Nursing, physical and occupational therapy, home health aide, medical social work | No cost to you | File promptly after the injury or diagnosis |
| Longshore Act / NAFIA | Port and harbor workers, and civilian employees of base exchanges, commissaries, clubs, and MWR programs | An accepted claim, and a treating physician who prescribes the care | Wage benefits (set by your claim) | Attendant and nursing care at home, for as long as the injury requires | No cost to you | Report the injury and file promptly |
| WTC Health Program | 9/11 responders and survivors, including those who have moved away from New York | Enrollment, and a condition certified as WTC-related | — (the Victim Compensation Fund is the separate program that pays) | Medically necessary treatment for certified conditions, home care when prescribed and approved | No cost to you | None — there is no enrollment deadline |
| Defense Base Act | Civilians hurt working outside the U.S. for a company on a U.S. government contract | An accepted DBA claim, and a treating physician who prescribes the care | Wage benefits (set by your claim) | Attendant and nursing care at home, for as long as the injury requires | No cost to you | Report the injury and file promptly |
| VA Community Care | Veterans enrolled with the VA who need care at home | The VA authorizes home health through Community Care | — (this is care, not cash) | Nursing, physical and occupational therapy, home health aide, medical social work | No cost to you | None |
| RECA | Downwinders, onsite test participants, and uranium workers — and survivors | A covered illness tied to radiation or uranium work | A one-time $100,000 payment | — (RECA is cash; uranium workers can open the White Card for care) | — | December 31, 2027 (hard deadline) |
| VA Aid & Attendance | Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses who need help with daily living | A doctor confirms the need for regular help, and income after care costs falls under the limit | A monthly, tax-free pension check paid to you | — (this is cash you can spend on care, not covered services) | — | None |
| Medicare | People 65+ or with a qualifying disability | Homebound, with a physician order for skilled care | — (this is care, not cash) | Intermittent skilled nursing, therapy, limited home health aide, medical social work | No cost to you for covered home health | None |
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. Not sure which row is you? Take the 1-minute Navigator →
Guides
In-depth guides to the benefits families miss most.
EEOICPA · Survivors
Survivor benefits, explained
Families are often owed compensation of their own, even if the worker never filed. Who qualifies, what it pays, how to claim it.
Read the guide
White Card · Denials
Denied before? What to do next
An EEOICPA denial is not permanent. Why claims get denied, how to object and reopen, and why a past denial may succeed now.
Read the guide
9/11 · WTC Health Program
Your 9/11 benefits followed you to Nevada
Responders and survivors outside New York receive care through the Nationwide Provider Network. No enrollment deadline, and certified conditions are covered at no cost to you.
Read the guide
Longshore · NAFIA
Hurt on the docks or on base
The Longshore Act covers port and harbor workers, and NAFIA extends it to base exchange, commissary, and MWR employees. Lifetime medical care, home care included.
Read the guide
Defense Base Act
Hurt overseas on a government contract
The Defense Base Act makes the carrier responsible for your medical care for as long as the injury requires — home care included, often with a family member as the paid caregiver.
Read the guide
VA · Aid & Attendance
The VA pension that pays for home care
A monthly, tax-free pension for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help at home. What it pays, who qualifies, and a worksheet that shows your real cost of care.
Read the guide
RECA · Radiation
RECA reopened, and the 2027 deadline
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act came back in 2025, with a one-time payment and a hard filing deadline of December 31, 2027.
Read the guide
White Card · EEOICPA
What your White Card is really worth
Compensation and free home health for life, plus the benefits most families never claim. The whole picture.
Read the guide
The article library
All 30 articles →
One real question per article: choosing an agency, the money families miss, hours, denials, survivors, and more.
White Card · OWCP · Hours
How your care hours are set
Who decides your hours, the six-month authorization cycle, and how hours can grow when your needs change.
Read the guide
Nevada Test Site
Worked at the Nevada Test Site?
Who is covered, which illnesses qualify, and what the benefit is worth, with an illustrative impairment estimate.
Read the guide
Glossary
The terms that matter, defined.
Start with the program you came for, or read straight through. When you are ready to see what applies to you, the Benefit Navigator walks you there in about a minute.
Not sure which one applies to you?
Take the 1-minute Navigator, or compare the programs side by side.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (702) 814-9630.