Special Notice: Impact of COVID-19 on Selection of Provider, Authorization of Medical Evaluations and Scheduling of Appointments

Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation (DCMWC)

Effective April 2020

Many of our approved providers have temporarily suspended black lung evaluation appointments for the safety of patients and medical staff, consistent with social distancing guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Selection of Provider

The list of approved providers contains the most recent information we have regarding the status of each provider. Many of our providers are not currently scheduling appointments; other providers may have an extended wait for an appointment. Any delay in your evaluation will not negatively affect the decision on your entitlement to benefits.

You may still choose any provider on the list who is either in your state of residence or a surrounding state.

Medical Evaluation

We will continue to review your Selection of Provider requests and authorize payment of services. If your selected provider's office is open, you may schedule your testing and examination for a date that you and the provider deem appropriate or you may choose to wait and schedule for a later time. If the selected provider's office is temporarily closed, we understand that you may have to wait for the office to open to schedule your testing and examination.

When you receive our letter regarding the scheduling of your medical evaluation we encourage you to contact the provider to obtain an appointment for an appropriate date in the future or to be put on the list for an appointment once the provider resumes practice.

Scheduling of Appointment

Your safety and health, and that of our medical providers, is vitally important to us. Coupled with various travel restrictions across the country, we understand that you may want to delay your evaluation.

You will not be penalized for postponing your examination. Before going to any examination, please contact the doctor's office to ensure that the office is open and conducting tests, and determine if you should take special precautions or follow any other special instructions. You should also let the doctor's office know of any health concerns you have so that they can advise you whether you should postpone or reschedule your examination.

Other Document Filing

You can continue to file documents related to your claim by mail or through the online C.O.A.L. Mine Portal. We encourage you to use the C.O.A.L. Mine Portal for the fastest processing of your documents if possible.

Additional information regarding COVID-19 and the Black Lung program is available on our website.