Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation (DCMWC)
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Region III
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 four Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation district office located in Region III. 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:
District Offices
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Douglas Dettling, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
OWCP/DCMWC
Greater Johnstown Tech Park
1 Tech Park Drive, Suite 250
Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15901-1267
Commercial: (814) 619-7777 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
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; Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont; and the following 30 counties in Pennsylvania; Allegheny, Armstrong, Bradford, Beaver, Butler, Carbon, Clarion, Columbia, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Lehigh, Luzerne, Mercer, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and Wyoming.
Social Security Black Lung Claims; the following counties in Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, 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.
Charleston, West Virginia
Richard Hanna, District Director
U.S.
Department of Labor
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
Carolyn King, Supervisory Claims Examiner
U.S.
Department of Labor
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.
