Washington — Easing entry to well being care and different benefits for coal miners who’ve black lung illness can assist treatment a “devastating” growth within the mining group, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) says.
During a May 22 listening to of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Casey renewed his name for passage of the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 6461 and S. 3304), which he and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) reintroduced in November.
Also often known as coal staff’ pneumoconiosis, black lung is a lethal situation brought on by publicity to respirable coal mine mud. Cases of black lung stay on the rise, and the illness impacts round 1 out of 6 coal staff, in accordance to the American Lung Association.
The laws is aimed toward revising the Department of Labor’s Black Lung Program, which gives benefits to miners and eligible survivors or dependents, by:
- Requiring full disclosure of medical data associated to a declare, no matter whether or not the data is taken into account proof.
- Allowing extra miners to obtain authorized help.
- Allowing miners or their survivors to reopen instances beforehand denied due to medical interpretations which have since been discredited.
- Adjusting black lung benefits to mirror cost-of-living will increase.
“Our nation has long relied on coal miners, so many of whom have risked their lives and their long-term health to do the job of powering years of prosperity,” Casey mentioned in a press launch. “My bill will ensure that every coal miner who is suffering from black lung disease receives the benefits that they and their families are entitled to.
“With the most serious black lung cases still on the rise, we owe it to our miners to make … sure they get the care and benefits they’ve earned.”
