Medicare Claims Paid by the Federal Black Lung Benefits Program: US Medicare Beneficiaries, 1999–2016

Details

• Personal Author:
  Blackley D ; Casey M ; Halldin, Cara N. ; Kurth L ; Mazurek, Jacek ; Schleiff, Patricia L.
• Description:
  Objective: To establish the burden of totally disabling respiratory impairment among coal miners, we identified the healthcare utilization and cost for Medicare claims where the Federal Black Lung Program (FBLP) was the primary payer. Methods: We extracted FBLP claims from 1999-2016 institutional Medicare data along with beneficiary, comorbidity, and claim cost information. Healthcare utilization was evaluated and compared to the 2016 Medicare population. Results: The FBLP was the primary payer on 75,690 claims from 19,700 beneficiaries and paid an increasing percentage of the total paid to providers annually. Claims decreased from 1999-2016 but cost per claim increased. Beneficiaries were hospitalized and visited the ER for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Conclusions: Medicare beneficiaries with FBLP primary payer claims have higher healthcare utilization and comorbidities compared to Medicare enrollees, indicative of increased financial and healthcare burden. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Delivery Of Health Care Economics Lung Lung Diseases Mining Occupational Health Pneumoconiosis Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Lung Disease Black Lung Disease Black Lung Disease Benefits Coal Miners Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Benefits Compensation Costs Disease Incidence Economic Impact Health Care Lung Disease Medical Care Medical Records Medical Services Medical Treatment Surveillance Workers Compensation

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  61
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057784
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2019 Dec; 61(12):e510-e515
• Contact Point Address:
  Laura Kurth, Senior Service Fellow, Respiratory Health Division, NIOSH/CDC 1095 Willowdale Road, MS HG912, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  LKurth@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6d1c359399effa87416ce957a45b139b6fe970fabd3b7477d4edda5f10ec9ecec2f120930fdd1e550946e8f983f3cebb5230c6789332a2e70bc78112e7426630
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215016/cdc_215016_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 244.00 KB ]