Black Lung Exams Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Black Lung Health Fair Held In Oak Hill

A free health fair on Tuesday gave the community of Oak Hill the opportunity to be tested for black lung disease.

The New River Health Association hosted the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) mobile health bus to offer free screenings for black lung on Tuesday.

“NIOSH is here doing a free service,” said Lisa Emery, Breathing Center director at the New River Health Association’s Black Lung Clinic. “And we’re really excited because the numbers of black lung are skyrocketing here in Appalachia. So we want to take care of our coal miners.”

In addition, miners had the opportunity to register for state and federal benefits with the assistance of a benefits counselor.

“As far as your benefits go, we’re going to educate you on how to file state claims,” Emery said. “There’s definitely time limits with state claims. And we don’t want you to miss out on any opportunities to file your federal or your state black lung claim.”

According to Emery, one in five coal miners develops complicated pneumoconiosis, and younger coal miners are getting black lung earlier than ever before.

“It’s no longer your grandfather’s disease,” Emery said. “It’s no longer your husband’s disease. It’s your son’s disease, too, because younger and younger coal miners are developing this.”

“We hear a lot about miners who are in their 20s,” said Cindy Whitlock, director of School Health at New River Health Association. “I think the youngest patient we have ever had is 33. And, it’s one of those West Virginia things. It just seems to be pervasive in every family. It doesn’t matter who you talk to, you’ve got somebody in your family that has black lung.”

Whitlock said the convenience of the resources available at the fair could be life-changing for someone with black lung.

“I think having a one-stop easy, you know, come in and when you leave, it’s done,” Whitlock said. “I think that’s very exciting, even though it’s a sad state of affairs to see this many people at these various ages affected by black lung.”

Roger James is a retired coal miner diagnosed with black lung. He does pulmonary rehab at New River Health and said the clinic motivates him to stay active.

“It motivates me to be able to come out and do the exercising that I do, because when you lay around, your body deteriorates quickly,” James said. “So you need to stay active, and when you cannot breathe, it’s hard to stay active because you get frustrated. Really easy. So it means a lot to just be able to get out and do for yourself.”

According to Emery, in total, black lung benefits counselors were able to help 53 miners fill out their federal black lung applications. In addition, NIOSH performed breathing tests and black lung x-rays on 86 miners and New River Health did five breathing tests on patients who came in curious about their breathing and interested in the pulmonary rehab program.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Black Lung Screenings And Town Hall In Oakhill

Black lung screenings will be available and free to the public Tuesday in Oak Hill.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Mobile Health Unit will be at New River Health in Oak Hill Tuesday to provide free health screenings from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The screenings are open to the public and to retired or working coal miners. Screenings will include chest x-rays, breathing tests and benefits counseling.

Access to this kind of testing in rural areas is vital, according to Courtney Rhoades, Black Lung Organizer with the Appalachian Citizens Law Center.

“Whether you’re a coal miner or someone who just thinks they have any type of pulmonary symptoms happening, it’s so important to make sure that you’re getting screened to make sure that you’re keeping up with your health,” Rhoades said.

A Black Lung Town Hall hosted by the National Black Lung Association, National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics, and the United Mine Workers of America will be held after the health fair, at 5:00 p.m.
The town hall will provide updates on the black lung epidemic and the newly proposed silica dust exposure rule from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Coal Miners Rally For Black Lung Legislation

Miners and advocates rallied Wednesday at the West Virginia Capitol in support of a series of bills aimed at preventing and treating severe black lung disease.

Five bills introduced by lawmakers would make it easier to make qualify for state benefits and provide benefits to miners who have early-stage black lung.

The bills come at a time when the Ohio Valley is facing a surge in cases of severe black lung disease, also called Progressive Massive Fibrosis.

“We’re here because so many of the people that’s worked years and years years, 30, 35 years in the mines, and been exposed to coal dust their whole life and they fall through the cracks,” said Terry Abbott, president of United Mine Workers of America Local 8843, which represents miners in West Virginia’s Fayette and Kanawha counties.

“We’re here to support all the miners that should be receiving compensation for the the years they put in the mines.”

Black lung is caused by exposure to coal dust and the debilitating and progressive disease has no cure. The state and federal government both have benefits systems that allow miners to make a claim against their employer for medical expenses and a small stipend.

Advocates and miners argue access to health and financial benefits increases the likelihood sufferers can seek medical treatment.

Getting those benefits through federal or state programs can be challenging, and recent changes on the state level has made it tougher for miners to qualify.

Obstacles To Benefits

Kentucky lawmakers last year eliminated radiologists from the process miners use to qualify for benefits. In West Virginia, a decision by the state Supreme Court made it harder for miners to file a claim.

Now, advocates for black lung victims are rallying behind new legislation in West Virginia which they say can help sick miners. Kentucky representatives have also proposed a bipartisan bill that would repeal the state’s 2018 law that limits which doctors can evaluate black lung workers compensation claims.

One bill in West Virginia with bipartisan support is Senate Bill 260. Co-sponsored by two doctors, it would change the law to allow miners to receive partial disability awards if they are diagnosed with the disease. Miners diagnosed with early-stage black lung would qualify for 20 weeks of benefits.

Members of the Southeastern Kentucky Black Lung Association light candles in memory of those lost to the disease.

Miners would only have to have X-rays that show the presence of severe black lung disease, not a diagnosis that the disease has yet impacted their health.

Supporters of the bill argue that because black lung is progressive, there is no doubt symptoms will worsen. Providing some benefits to miners early on may boost their ability to seek treatment or assist in re-training to allow early career miners to find other employment and limit coal dust exposure.

Benefits Boost

Another bill, Senate Bill 144, would create a state black lung program that would provide $300 in monthly benefits for West Virginia miners with at least 10 years of coal dust exposure.

“We want to simplify the black lung program here in West Virginia, so the state can take care of its own, give them what they’re due, what they’re entitled to and what they’ve worked for,” said Charles Dixon, with UMWA Local 1440 in Matewan, West Virginia.

He was one of dozens of miners who rallied at the Capitol Wednesday in support of the black lung bills.

A third bill, House Bill 2588, would challenge the recent West Virginia Supreme Court decision that made it harder for miners to file a state workers’ compensation case. It stipulates a person seeking an evaluation from the state Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board can do so at any time regardless of the time limits set to file a claim and that insurance carriers must pay for the exam.

The bills have not yet advanced to a floor vote.

WVPB’s Dave Mistich contributed to this story.

Free Black Lung Screenings to be Offered in Three W.Va. Counties

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, is providing free Black Lung exams in four West Virginia towns.

NIOSH’s Mobile Occupational Safety and Health Units will set up in Ceredo in Wayne County, Delbarton in Mingo County, and Man and Logan in Logan County.

The free screenings will be available next week from Monday, March 26 through Friday, March 30.

The announcement was made in a news release from U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s office.

Miners are urged to call 1-888-480-4042 to make an appointment. Walk-ins will be taken as time allows. According to NIOSH, the exam typically takes 30 minutes and includes a short questionnaire, blood pressure screening, a chest x-ray, and a breathing test. Participation is free and the results are confidential.

NIOSH Black Lung Clinic Schedule:

Monday: Ceredo City Hall, 700 B Street, Ceredo, WV 25507 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Old Burch Elementary School, 1891 Route 65, Delbarton, WV 25670 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Mountain Mart Village Shopping Center, 80 Huff Creek Highway, Man, WV 25635 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday & Friday: Walmart – Logan, 77 Norman Morgan Blvd., Fountainplace Plaza, Logan, WV 25601 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days.