United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-12-06 monographic deposited born digital 19 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-298T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T P0b002ee180374a92 f:d04298t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T GAO-04-298T Claims processing Data collection Hazardous substances Health hazards Insurance claims Radiation exposure hazards Workers compensation Testimony A08959 The Department of Energy (Energy) and its predecessor agencies and contractors have employed thousands of workers in the nuclear weapons production complex. Some employees were exposed to toxic substances, including radioactive and hazardous materials, during this work and many subsequently developed illnesses. Subtitle D of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 allows Energy to help its contractor employees file state workers' compensation claims for illnesses determined by a panel of physicians to be caused by exposure to toxic substances in the course of employment at an Energy facility. Energy began accepting applications under this program in July 2001, but did not begin processing them until its final regulations became effective on September 13, 2002. The Congress mandated that GAO study the effectiveness of the benefit program under Subtitle D of this Act. This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing work on this issue and focuses on three key areas: (1) the number, status, and characteristics of claims filed with Energy; (2) the extent to which there will be a "willing payer" of workers' compensation benefits, that is, an insurer who--by order from, or agreement with Energy--will not contest these claims; and (3) the extent to which Energy policies and procedures help employees file timely claims for these state benefits. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T.pdf GAO-04-298T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-298T Testimony GAO-04-298T; Energy Employees Compensation: Case-Processing Bottlenecks Delay Payment of Claims; Claims processing Data collection Hazardous substances Health hazards Insurance claims Radiation exposure hazards Workers compensation