To be eligible for CDC funded CARD Screening, you must have lived, worked or recreated in the Libby area, prior to the year 2015, for at least 6 months (and this does not need to be consecutive). It also must have been at least 10 years since your first potential exposure to asbestos in the Libby area. The reason that it must have been at least 10 years ago is because asbestos related diseases have a 10-40 year latency (delay) period before any evidence of disease presents.

CARD Screening involves collection of information related to your asbestos exposure, current health status and health history. A chest x-ray will be done to look at your lungs. A complete breathing test (pulmonary function test) will be done to see how your lungs are functioning. A CARD screening physician will then evaluate all of your information, and then your case manager will go over the results with you. If you are over the age of 50, a fecal occult blood test will be offered to you to screen for colon cancer as it is considered an asbestos related condition. If the screening physician identifies any suggestive symptoms or suggestive abnormalities on your chest x-ray you will be offered further diagnostic testing. This would include a chest CT scan and a face-to-face visit with the screening physician.

Based on your individual situation, an individual asbestos healthcare plan will be developed for you. This will include any referrals or further healthcare treatment you may need, as well as a plan for when you should next be screened for asbestos related changes and lung cancer. Remember, that asbestos related diseases have a 10-40 year latency period. This means that asbestos related healthcare issues can present many years later, even if you have had previous screenings that were normal. Ongoing asbestos screening is an important part of managing your overall health.

All chest x-rays will be sent out to two B-readers. B-readers are individuals who have been trained to read chest x-rays using a standardized method to identify lung abnormalities related to dust exposure. If you had a chest CT done it will be sent out to an expert CT reader. If the CT reader or if 2 B-readers agree that they have identified lung abnormalities related to asbestos exposure, you would be eligible for FLASH (Federal Libby Asbestos Specialty Healthcare) benefits. If the 2 B-readers have different opinion, one yes and one no, then it will be sent to a 3rd B-reader to determine the final outcome.

The CDC fund is only available to those who are seen at CARD in Libby. However, there is another plan, called LAMP (Libby Asbestos Medical Plan), which can be used for asbestos screening anywhere in the country. If you would like to know more about this plan, please contact LAMP at 1-877-889-8405 or contact the long distance screening department at CARD for assistance.