Senator Baucus in Town Thursday
Asbestos Issues the Topic
by Maggie Craig
February 26, 2005
A crowd of about 100 people gathered in the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall on Thursday to hear Montana Senator Max Baucus speak about the asbestos issue in Libby. Senator Baucus assured the audience that the people of Libby and their well-being have been at the forefront of his personal agenda since the asbestos issue made national headlines in November of 1999. Senator Baucus started the meeting by noting some of the achievements made to date, including:
- The involvement of former EPA administrators Christine Todd Whitman and Mike Leavitt
- A number of grants that have been secured for various efforts, including the establishment of the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) clinic
- The initial screening of 7000 current and former residents and ongoing screening and re-screening efforts
- Hospital upgrades
- Residential and public asbestos cleanup
- Research funding opportunities
Senator Baucus also mentioned the pending legislation regarding compensation for asbestos victims. He will not support any legislation that does not specifically protect Libby residents, and that does not specifically address tremolite asbestos.
Panel members Dr. Brad Black, CARD director; pulmonary specialist Dr. Alan Whitehouse and University of Montana Pharmacy School Dean Dave Forbes spoke briefly about their roles in asbestos issues including screening, diagnosis, treatment, research and funding.
The Senator's persistent question throughout the meeting for the panel was: Does Libby have the resources to meet the needs of Libby's asbestos patients? Regarding screening, Dr. Black's response was that neither W.R.Grace nor Medicare adequately reimburses the clinic for the costs associated with screening patients. With regard to the overall care of a patient diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, the costs become considerable. Considering that the estimated average health care cost of a patient with respiratory failure or lung cancer is about $500,000, and there are currently about 1500 patients in Libby, with more surely to be identified in the future, the anticipated medical costs are staggering. Add to that the specialized care required, including surgery, hospital care, and nursing home care, and it becomes clear that Libby is not prepared to fully care for the anticipated needs of asbestos patients. The idea of a trust fund account to fund medical care for Libby residents is one idea being proposed, although the amount of such a trust, and the length of time a trust should be available, have yet to be fully considered. Other needs identified by the audience and panel members include the potential expansion of the CARD clinic and the Community Health Center and defining their relationship to the hospital, and the need for broadband technology.
The meeting wrapped up with Senator Baucus asking for definitive answers to the questions of what does Libby need; what are the issues and projects that need to be addressed and funded so that Libby can go forward? He pledges to do his best to meet those needs.
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U.S. Senator Max Baucus
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