RECA Benefits
We help you understand RECA benefits, your additional tax-free compensation, free home healthcare and program eligibility.
RECA Benefits Explained
RECA = Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
-
RECA is a federal compensation program for certain people who became sick due to radiation exposure connected to:
-
Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing, and/or
-
Uranium industry employment
-
RECA is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Under RECA, the Attorney General has authority to set procedures and determine whether claims meet eligibility requirements.
Update (important date)
July 3, 2025: RECA was extended and expanded. The information on this page reflects those updated parameters with a focus on uranium industry employment.
Who may qualify for RECA compensation?
People may qualify if they meet rules for category, location, dates, and medical condition. Common RECA categories include:
-
RECA can cover certain uranium industry employment between 1942 and 1990 in designated Uranium Worker States.
-
Uranium miners
-
Uranium millers
-
Ore transporters
-
Core drillers (included in the 2025 expansion)
-
Remediation workers (included in the 2025 expansion)
-
Does RECA cover healthcare costs?
-
No. RECA provides lump-sum compensation and does not cover healthcare costs by itself.
-
However, some people approved for RECA compensation may also qualify for additional tax-free compensation and free home healthcare under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) often referred to as the EEOICPA White Card Program, depending on their situation.
-
This is where Trusted Ally Home Care can step in and guide you through a Pathway to Care.
What medical issues have been added in the RECA expansion?
Kidney dysfunction because some uranium workers experience chronic kidney disease and other renal impairments. Until the 2025 expansion, these programs focused mainly on lung diseases and certain cancers. But uranium exposure doesn’t just harm the lungs, it also impacts the kidneys, the body's natural filters. Uranium is nephrotoxic: It accumulates in the kidneys, where it causes damage to tissues, tubules and filtration functions.
How much compensation can uranium workers receive?
Uranium miners, millers, ore transporters, core drillers, and remediation workers who are approved for RECA compensation can expect the following amounts depending on approved conditions.
-
$100,000 tax-free lump-sum payment from the DOJ through RECA
-
$50,000 tax-free lump-sum payment from the DOL through Part B of EEOICPA
-
Up to $250,000 tax-free lump-sum payment from the DOL through Part E of EEOICPA
-
Total potential is up to $400,000 tax-free compensation (depending on approved conditions)
Free RECA medical screenings
RECA claimants may qualify for free medical screenings through RESEP (Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program) clinics located in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah which can help in getting RECA claims approved.
Official source: RESEP (Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program)
RECA timeline key dates
-
October 5, 1990: RECA was passed and signed into law.
-
July 10, 2000: RECA Amendments of 2000 broadened scope and coverage.
-
June 7, 2022: RECA Extension Act of 2022 extended the trust fund and filing deadline until June 10, 2024.
-
June 10, 2024: RECA expired.
-
July 3, 2025: RECA was extended and expanded (as stated on this page).
-
December 31, 2028: RECA is set to expire.
Uranium Worker States
Current uranium worker states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Does RECA actually pay claims?
Yes, and as of March 2026, close to $1 billion has been paid in total compensation to uranium workers.
Does EEOICPA actually pay claims?
Yes, and as of December 2024, over $27 billion has been paid in total settlements and medical bills paid.
Official sources
Do You Qualify?
Up to $400,000
Free home healthcare
We can help guide you
Areas We Serve
Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
Colorado
Colorado has 17 facilities covered by the EEOICPA White Card Program including the Rocky Flats Plant, which played a vital role in producing nuclear weapons parts, such as plutonium and uranium. Colorado is also a designated Uranium Worker State meaning certain uranium industry employment is covered under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) throughout the entire state.
Nevada
Nevada has 6 locations covered by the EEOICPA White Card program including the Nevada Test Site, also known as the Nevada National Security Site which was established in 1951 for testing nuclear weapons. Nevada also has 6 designated Downwinder Areas meaning certain counties downwind from the Nevada Test Site are covered under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
New Mexico
New Mexico has 18 facilities covered by the EEOICPA White Card program including the Los Alamos National Laboratory. New Mexico is also a designated Uranium Worker State meaning certain uranium industry employment is covered under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) throughout the entire state. Uranium mining played a large role from the early 1950s to the early 1980s.
South Carolina
South Carolina has 1 facility covered by the EEOICPA White Card program which is the Savannah River Site (SRS). This site performed multiple operations that played a vital role in the nuclear weapons complex including the production of plutonium and tritium. Many facilities were built at SRS to support these efforts and to address the resulting environmental impacts.
Georgia
Georgia does not technically have any EEOICPA facilities, but we serve this state due to the proximity of the Savannah River Site (SRS) located in Aiken, SC. This site performed operations that played a vital role in the nuclear weapons complex including the production of plutonium and tritium. Many facilities were built at SRS to support these efforts and to address the resulting environmental impacts.
Tennessee
Tennessee has 12 facilities covered by the EEOICPA White Card program including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (X-10) which holds historical importance as one of the three original sites in the Manhattan Project. In order to advance the project, the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25) and Y-12 Plant were constructed to investigate various techniques for enriching uranium.
Texas
Texas has 6 facilities covered by the EEOICPA White Card program including Pantex which is the primary nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility originally built as a conventional bomb plant. Texas is also a designated Uranium Worker State meaning certain uranium industry employment is covered under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) throughout the entire state.
