Johns Hopkins Will Not Reopen Black Lung Program
The Center for Public Integrity reports today that Johns Hopkins terminated its black lung program following criticism brought on by the Center for Public Integrity/ABC News…
DOL and NIOSH Create B-Reader Quality Assurance Program
Important news in the black lung benefits system: The federal government has created an interagency program to revoke the “B-Reader” certification of biased physicians. Background NIOSH’s…
Congressmen Introduce Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2015
Yesterday in the House and Senate, members of Congress introduced the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2015. The bill numbers are H.R. 3625 and S.2096.…
Fourth Circuit Reverses Board on Substantial Evidence, Finds Doctor’s Opinion Insufficient to Support Finding that Coal-Mine Dust Caused Miner’s COPD (W. Va. CWP Fund v. Mullins)
On September 10, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a decision that did two things that are rare in black lung…
Third Circuit Affirms Denial of Widow’s Claims as Supported by Substantial Evidence (Padagomas v. Director, OWCP)
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the denial of a widow’s claim and the claim that the miner filed before…