EKB News

In 1969, the federal law created a national program to pay benefits to black lung victims and their families, but a recent review by the Government Accountability Office found 87% of the miners were initially denied those benefits, while a high rate of appeals delay resolution of many cases...sometimes for years. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia is calling for reforms in the way the government processes claims for the nation's coal miners. He says GAO's analysis and recommendations on how to improve the Black Lung Benefits Program are a step in the right direction, and he plans to introduce legislation to address "persistent barriers" faced by victims and their families. Rockefeller says lawmakers must continue to fight to protect the miners' health and hard-earned benefits.