Subject to the other provisions of this part:

(1)  Contractor employees

A covered DOE contractor employee shall receive contractor employee compensation under this part in accordance with section 7385s–2 of this title.

(2)  Survivors

After the death of a covered DOE contractor employee, compensation referred to in paragraph (1) shall not be paid. Instead, the survivor of that employee shall receive compensation as follows:

(A)  Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the survivor of that employee shall receive contractor employee compensation under this part in accordance with section 7385s–3 of this title.

(B)  In a case in which the employee’s death occurred after the employee applied under this part and before compensation was paid under paragraph (1), and the employee’s death occurred from a cause other than the covered illness of the employee, the survivor of that employee may elect to receive, in lieu of compensation under subparagraph (A), the amount of contractor employee compensation that the employee would have received in accordance with section 7385s–2 of this title if the employee’s death had not occurred before compensation was paid under paragraph (1).