Veterans’ Experiences With Legislation to Address Health Care and Disability Related to Contaminated Water Exposure at Camp Lejeune Marine Base

Background: Between 1953 and 1987, the groundwater at Marine Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was contaminated with chlorinated solvents. Legislation enacted by the federal government aimed to provide disability compensation and access to health care to Veterans for conditions related to these exposures. Objective: We assessed the impact of the Camp Lejeune-related legislation on Veterans’ experiences with health care access and disability claims. Measure: A total of 8864 Veterans who were at Camp Lejeune between 1975 and 1985 were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences with health care and seeking compensation for conditions associated with toxicant exposure. Results: Approximately 964 surveys (13%) were fully completed and analyzed. One-third of respondents reported a diagnosis of at least one associated or presumptive condition linked to toxicant exposure. Veterans who reported living/working in higher risk areas at the Camp had a 2.02 CI: 1.41, 2.90 greater odds of being diagnosed with one of these conditions, controlling for demographic characteristics. While most Veterans accessed and were satisfied with Veterans Health Administration (VA) care, those who applied for disability compensation found the process to be unhelpful. Conclusion: Conditions associated with or presumptive for toxicant exposures at Camp Lejeune were frequently identified by respondents. Veterans who lived/worked in a high-risk area of the camp were twice as likely to have any of these conditions. There is a need for additional education of Veterans regarding the Camp Lejeune legislation, particularly around the disability claims filing process, and the increased risk of those who lived near the contaminated wells at Camp Lejeune.