Thousands of retired miners in seven states will lose their health care coverage by the end of the year – unless Congress passes the Miners Protection Act, Senate Bill 175 and House Resolution 179 by the end of this month.
The measure would secure retiree health care benefits for those retirees whose companies declared bankruptcy in 2012 and 2015 – Patriot Coal, Walter Energy and Alpha Natural Resources. It would also preserve the long-term health of the UMWA 1974 Pension Fund – a provision which has rankled some conservative members of Congress.