Thursday, November 05, 2009
GAO studies Black Lung Benefits Program
Coal miners face several challenges when pursuing federal black lung claims, such as finding legal representation and producing sound medical evidence, according to a report (.pdf file) on the Black Lung Benefits Program released Oct. 30 by the Government Accountability Office. Black lung – or coal worker's pneumoconiosis – is a respiratory disease caused by breathing coal dust.
Of the 763 claims GAO examined, mining companies agreed to pay benefits for about 73 percent of them within three years of the initial claim. The report said 87 percent of the claims filed in 2008 were initially denied, possibly because miners have trouble proving they meet all of the program's eligibility requirements.
GAO also found both miners and mining companies have financial incentives to keep claims tied up in appeals. The agency recommended the Department of Labor track performance through the claims process and consider structural changes to the program.