{"abstract":"This final rule revises the regulations under the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA or Act) governing the payment of medical benefits and maintains the level of care available to miners. The final rule establishes methods for determining the amounts that the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund (Trust Fund) will pay for covered medical services and treatments provided to entitled miners. The Department based the rule on payment formulas that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses to determine payments under the Medicare program, which are similar to the formulas used by other programs that the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers. The Department is adopting these payment formulas for the black lung program because they more accurately reflect prevailing community rates for authorized treatments and services than do the internally-derived payment formulas that OWCP currently uses. In addition, the final rule eliminates two obsolete provisions.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Office of Workers' Compensation Programs","name":"Workers' Compensation Programs Office","id":530,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/workers-compensation-programs-office","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/530","parent_id":271,"slug":"workers-compensation-programs-office"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2018/06/14/2018-12418.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":725,"title":20}],"citation":"83 FR 27690","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Effective Date: This rule is effective August 31, 2018.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":[],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2018-12418","effective_on":"2018-08-31","end_page":27699,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2018/06/14/2018-12418.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/14/2018-12418/black-lung-benefits-act-medical-benefit-payments","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2018-12418?publication_date=2018-06-14","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2018-06-14/2018-12418/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":10,"page_views":{"count":3716,"last_updated":"2026-10-24 14:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-06-14/pdf/2018-12418.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-12418.pdf?1528893916","publication_date":"2018-06-14","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2018/06/14/2018-12418.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1240-AA11":{"issue":"201804","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1240-AA11/black-lung-benefits-act-medical-benefit-payments","title":"Black Lung Benefits Act: Medical Benefit Payments","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201804&RIN=1240-AA11&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1240-AA11"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[],"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=WCPO_FRDOC_0001","supporting_documents_count":0,"docket_id":"WCPO_FRDOC_0001","regulation_id_number":null,"title":"Recently Posted WCPO Rules and Notices.","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2018-07-04T10:00:16Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":27690,"subtype":null,"title":"Black Lung Benefits Act: Medical Benefit Payments","toc_doc":"Medical Benefit Payments","toc_subject":"Black Lung Benefits Act:","topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Black lung benefits","Claims","Health care","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Vocational rehabilitation","Workers' compensation"],"type":"Rule","volume":83}