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Our agency serves the needs of a varied
community, including claimants, beneficiaries, attorneys, coal mine employers,
insurance carriers, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, and medical service and
equipment providers.
General Information
Congress created the Federal Black Lung program to compensate coal
miners, their dependents, and their survivors for the disabling effects of
black lung disease (coal workers' pneumoconiosis). In the Act that created the
program, pneumoconiosis is defined as any pulmonary (or lung) disability
significantly related to or substantially aggravated by coal mine dust
exposure.
Who is
Eligible?
A claimant must be a "coal miner" (in the literal sense) to be
eligible for benefits. A worker may also be considered a "coal miner" for the
purpose of the Act when working as a coal transportation worker, coal mine
construction worker, or service contractor, to the extent that they worked in
or around a coal mine or coal preparation facility. Employees whose work is not
directly related to coal mining or coal preparation, such as night watchmen, do
not qualify as coal miners under the Black Lung program.
To Whom Can Benefits be
Paid?
Benefits are paid to a miner for as many as three dependents, and
to surviving dependents of a coal miner, including surviving spouses, surviving
divorced spouses, surviving eligible children, and surviving eligible parents,
brothers or sisters. In the case of survivors, for claims in which the miner
either filed after January 1, 1982, or did not file at all, the miner's death
must have been caused - at least in part - or hastened by coal workers'
pneumoconiosis.
How Do You File for Black
Lung Benefits?
Miners or their survivors who believe they may qualify for Black
Lung benefits may file a claim in one of four different ways:
- Go to their local Social Security office
- Visit their nearest U.S. Department of Labor Black Lung office
- Call their servicing Black Lung office and have the application
forms sent to them
General
Information
In addition to monthly disability benefits an eligible miner is
entitled to medical coverage. The coverage is limited to the miner only and
must be directly related to coal workers pneumoconiosis. Certain medical,
surgical and other treatments are covered such as hospital, nursing,
rehabilitation services, drugs and equipment. For more information, please
contact your servicing Black Lung office at the locations listed below.
A toll-free number has been designated for each of the nine
Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation district offices. A toll-free
number, (800) 638-7072, also has been designated for the office that is
responsible for the Black Lung Program's medical diagnostic and treatment
services. A list of our district offices and their respective geographical
jurisdictions follows:
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Stuart Glassman, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
ESA/OWCP/DCMWC
319
Washington Street, Second Floor
Johnstown,
Pennsylvania 15901
Commercial:
(814) 533-4323 Toll-Free: (800) 347-3754
Jurisdiction: Department of Labor Black
Lung Claims; Virginia; and the following 37 counties in Pennsylvania;
Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Chester,
Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Franklin, Fulton,
Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, McKean,
Mifflin, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter,
Somerset, Snyder, Tioga, Union, and York.
Social Security Black Lung Claims; the following
counties in Pennsylvania: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks,
Carbon, Columbia, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton,
Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana,
Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin,
Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia,
Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga,
Union, Wayne, Wyoming and York. Also claims from Virginia.
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Colleen Smalley, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
ESA/OWCP/DCMWC
1225 South
Main Street, Suite 405
Greensburg,
Pennsylvania 15601
Commercial:
(724) 836-7230 Toll-Free: (800) 347-3753
Jurisdiction: Department of Labor Black Lung
Claims; Maryland; and the following 16 counties in Pennsylvania;
Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest,
Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland.
Social Security Black Lung Claims; the following
counties in Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion,
Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren,
Washington and Westmoreland. Also claims from; Connecticut, Delaware, District
of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Maribeth Girton, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
ESA/OWCP/DCMWC
100 N.
Wilkes-Barre Blvd., Room 300 A
Wilkes-Barre,
PA 18702
Commercial:
(570) 826- 6457 Toll-Free: (800) 347-3755
Jurisdiction: Department of Labor
Black Lung Claims; Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island,
Vermont; and the following 14 counties in Pennsylvania; Bradford, Carbon,
Columbia, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill,
Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming.
Social Security Black Lung Claims; the following
counties in Pennsylvania: Lackawanna, Luzerne
Charleston, West Virginia
Richard Hanna, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
ESA/OWCP/DCMWC
Charleston
Federal Center - Suite 110
500 Quarrier
Street
Charleston, West Virginia 25301
Commercial:
(304) 347-7100 Toll-Free (800) 347-3749
Jurisdiction: Department of
Labor AND Social Security Black Lung Claims; Twelve counties in West
Virginia; Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mingo,
Putnam, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming.
Parkersburg, West Virginia
Vicki Frye, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
ESA/OWCP/DCMWC, Suite 3116
425 Juliana
Street
Parkersburg,
West Virginia 26101
Commercial:
(304) 420-6385 Toll-Free: (800) 347-3751
Jurisdiction: Department of
Labor AND Social Security Black Lung Claims; all counties in West
Virginia not under the jurisdiction of the Charleston Office.
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