Coal miners can get black lung testing at clinic Oct. 11 in Somerset

Area coal miners can get assistance with black lung testing and federal black lung benefits at a clinic being held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in Somerset.

Lungs at Work , a nonprofit federal black lung clinic based in McMurray, Washington County, is holding the clinic at the Somerset Senior Community Service Center, 1338 S. Edgewood Ave., Somerset.

Past clinics have been held in Cowansville, Armstrong County, and Uniontown, Fayette County.

The nonprofit will offer health assessments, pulmonary screenings, pulse oximetry testing, benefits counseling and assistance with federal black lung applications.

To schedule an appointment, call 724-941-1650. Participants should bring a health insurance card. Miners from Somerset and surrounding counties are welcome.

Pennsylvania leads the country in the number of black lung claims filed from 1973 to 2017, and is third — after West Virginia and Kentucky — in disbursements paid, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In March, local programs such as Lungs at Work received a 40 percent increase in funding from the budget approved by Congress.

Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Stephen at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.