Libby Medical Program to Continue
Yesterday, officials for W.R. Grace and Company announced that it plans to retain the medical program it established in 2000 to assist local residents with medical needs resulting from their exposure to asbestos from the former Grace mine located near the small Montana town of Libby, where several hundred individuals have already died from asbestos diseases such as malignant mesothelioma.
According to a story aired on KECI-TV Missoula, Grace’s vice president William Corcoran made the announcement in order to clear up some misunderstandings about the medical program and its continuation. Several local media reports insinuated that the program would stop once Grace emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Corcoran wanted to make it clear to asbestos and mesothelioma victims and their families that the program would continue after the bankruptcy just as it had while the company was in bankruptcy.
The Libby Medical Program currently enrolls more than 800 people, all of whom receive health care and prescription drug coverage. Since its inception in 2000, Grace has spent more than $14 million on the program.
In addition, Grace makes an annual contribution of $250,000 to St. John’s Lutheran Hospital in Libby. To date, the hospital has received about $2 million to support its research of the disease. The money also helps support mesothelioma treatment programs, including clinical trials of new drugs and therapies.
