Denied before? That is not the end of the road.
A denied EEOICPA claim is not permanent. The program has expanded again and again, adding covered illnesses and new groups of workers, and there are real ways to object, reopen, and refile. Here is why claims get denied, what you can do about it, and where to get free help.
Why White Card claims get denied.
Most denials are about missing pieces, not a closed door.
The common reasons a claim is turned down:
- Employment could not be verified. The record did not clearly show you worked at a covered facility during the covered years.
- The medical link was not documented. The claim did not include enough to connect the illness to the work, or a physician had not stated the causal link.
- The condition was not covered yet. The illness was not on the list, or your group of workers was not yet part of a Special Exposure Cohort.
- It was filed under the wrong part. A claim denied under Part B may still succeed under Part E, or the reverse.
None of these are final. Each has a path forward, and the program itself keeps changing in claimants’ favor.
Why a past denial may succeed now.
EEOICPA is not static. Over the years the Department of Labor and NIOSH have added covered conditions and approved new Special Exposure Cohorts, groups of workers who can qualify more easily based on where and when they worked. A claim that failed years ago can succeed today simply because the rules changed.
If you were exposed to radiation, there may also be a separate path. RECA, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, reopened in 2025 with its own filing deadline of December 31, 2027.
What you can do about a denial.
Depending on where your claim is, you generally have several options. There are deadlines, so the first move is to confirm them with your Resource Center.
- Object to a recommended decision. If you received a recommended denial, you have a limited window, generally 60 days, to file objections and request a hearing or a review of the written record before the Final Adjudication Branch.
- Request reconsideration. After a final decision, you can ask the Final Adjudication Branch to reconsider, within a short window after the decision.
- Reopen with new evidence. At any time, a claim can be reopened with new medical evidence, verified employment, or a newly added condition or exposure cohort.
- Check for a new Special Exposure Cohort. If a class that now covers your worksite and years has been added since your denial, that can be grounds to reopen.
- Consider the other part, or a consequential condition. A denial under one part does not rule out the other, and a new condition caused by an accepted one can be added later.
| Where your claim is | The right move | The window |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended denial (not final yet) | File objections and request a hearing, or a review of the written record, with the Final Adjudication Branch | Generally 60 days |
| Final decision issued | Ask the Final Adjudication Branch to reconsider | A short window — confirm yours with the Resource Center |
| New medical or employment evidence | Request that the claim be reopened | Anytime |
| A new Special Exposure Cohort covers your worksite and years | Reopen on that basis | Anytime |
| Denied under Part B or Part E only | File under the other part; raise consequential conditions later | Anytime |
Deadlines are set by the Department of Labor and depend on your decision date. Confirm your exact windows with the Resource Center at (702) 697-0841 before acting.
Where to get free help.
You never pay anyone a percentage of an award to help you.
DOL Las Vegas Resource Center
(702) 697-0841
The primary, no-cost help for Nevada Test Site and DOE workers. They can tell you exactly where your claim stands, what your deadlines are, and what evidence would strengthen a reopening, at no charge.
An Authorized Representative who specializes in EEOICPA can also handle an objection, reopening, or refile for you. Alara does not file or appeal claims, that is the role of the Resource Center and Authorized Representatives, but we will tell you what your options look like and point you to the right people.
Where Alara fits.
We are a nurse-owned home health agency. The day your White Card is approved, or re-approved, we are the ones who provide the skilled care it covers, at no cost to you for the accepted condition. Until then, we will help you understand the decision in front of you and connect you to the people who can act on it. We do not hand you off.
Reviewed by Alara’s Director of Nursing, RN. General information, not legal or claims advice and not a determination of eligibility; the Department of Labor determines EEOICPA claims and deadlines. Confirm your specific deadlines with your Resource Center. Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, DEEOIC · NIOSH, Special Exposure Cohort · U.S. Department of Justice, RECA.
Not sure where your claim stands?
A denial can be reopened, and the program keeps expanding. Start a case review and a nurse tells you whether your White Card can be opened, then points you to the free help to file.