Federal cuts eliminated coal miners' healthcare access in the region
npr.org —
A CDC unit responsible for monitoring and providing healthcare to coal miners, particularly for Black Lung Disease, has been eliminated as part of federal health agency cuts. This unit provided free healthcare, including screenings and job transfer authorization for miners. The program, which helped reduce Black Lung Disease prevalence, is now defunct. Its elimination leaves miners without essential healthcare access and monitoring. This comes amid renewed concerns about lung damage from newer mining practices. A class-action lawsuit has been filed to reinstate the unit. Without the program, experts fear a resurgence of severe lung disease among miners, especially younger workers, as crucial medical oversight has ended.