C-8 Medical Monitoring Program
C-8MedicalMonitoringProgram.com

Frequently Asked Questions

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The C-8 Medical Monitoring Program was created as part of a Settlement between the Plaintiffs and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. ("DuPont"), the defendant, in a civil class action lawsuit called Jack Leach, et al. v. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Civil Action No. 01-C-608 pending in the Circuit Court of Wood County, West Virginia ("the Litigation"). The Litigation involves claims arising from contamination of human drinking water supplies with a chemical known as C-8 attributable to releases from DuPont's Washington Works Plant in Wood County, West Virginia. The Medical Monitoring Program provides medical monitoring to Class Members for certain Human Diseases where an independent Science Panel of three epidemiologists selected as part of the Settlement by Class Counsel and DuPont ("the Science Panel") found there was a probable link between exposure to C-8 among Class Members and certain Human Diseases.

This Settlement does not pertain to The Elk River contamination of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, or MCHM, and polyglycol ethers, known as PPH, discovered on January 9, 2014 in Charleston, West Virginia.

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You received Notice because you may be a Settlement Class Member. If so, you may be entitled to medical monitoring paid for by DuPont.

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To be eligible to file a claim with the Facility you must meet the following criteria:

If you consumed water for at least one year before December 4, 2004, from any of the following sources -- Lubeck Public Service District (WV); City of Belpre (OH), Tuppers Plains-Chester Water District (OH); Village of Pomeroy (OH); Little Hocking Water Association (OH); and Mason County Public Service District (WV), OR certain private water sources attached to the Notice as Exhibit 1 and listed on the website at www.C-8MedicalMonitoringProgram.com/water, and did not previously opt out of the class Settlement.

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As part of the Settlement, Class Counsel and DuPont selected an independent panel of three epidemiologists to conduct and evaluate studies to answer the question whether a "Probable Link" exists between exposure to C-8 among Class Members and serious human disease ("Human Disease").

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After lengthy studies, in which many class members participated, the Science Panel found that there is a "Probable Link" between exposure to C-8 and the following Human Diseases: (1) pregnancy- induced hypertension (including preeclampsia), (2) kidney cancer, (3) testicular cancer, (4) thyroid disease, (5) ulcerative colitis, and (6) diagnosed high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia). The Settlement Agreement defines a "Probable Link" to mean that, based upon the weight of the available scientific evidence; it is more likely than not that there is a link between exposure to C-8 and these Human Diseases. The Science Panel did not find that a Probable Link exists for any other Human Diseases.

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As called for by the Settlement, the parties selected an independent panel of three medical doctors (the "Medical Panel") to determine whether and when medical monitoring for Class Members is appropriate for the six Human Diseases linked to C-8 exposure by the Science Panel. The Medical Panel has now released a final Protocol identifying initial recommended medical monitoring procedures for Class Members for each of these Human Diseases. (A copy of the Medical Panel's Protocol is available on the Program website.) The Medical Panel will issue an additional Protocol specifying the frequency and duration of these recommended tests, and Class Members will receive an additional notice addressing those issues when that additional Protocol is released.

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Michael Rozen, Esq., an attorney specializing in settling and administering large settlements, was appointed as Director of Medical Monitoring by the Court. Mr. Rozen is a neutral attorney who does not work for either the Plaintiffs or DuPont. He will oversee the implementation of the Medical Monitoring Program that has been recommended by the Medical Panel.

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You received this letter because you participated in the C-8 (PFOA) Medical Monitoring Program. The Medical Panel has determined that it requires your data and test results from Brookmar's 2005 C-8 Health Project to compare with your Medical Monitoring Program test results. The comparison will help the Medical Panel decide how long the Medical Monitoring Program should continue. Your data will be held in the strictest confidence and all personal identifying information will be removed.

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The Director of the Medical Monitoring Program held informational meetings in Ohio and West Virginia on October 9 & 10, 2017 to answer questions about the Medical Panel's recommendation that all Class Members who have been screened through the Medical Monitoring Program should have follow up screening three years after your first screening and about the Program generally. Questions and Answers from the informational meetings can be found here.

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In order to be entitled to medical monitoring recommended by the Medical Panel for one of the six Human Diseases, without any cost to you (the costs will be paid for by DuPont), you must:

  • be a member of the class;
  • not have a prior diagnosis for the Human Disease to be tested; and
  • the test must be something that a physician would not otherwise recommend for you if you had not been exposed to C-8.

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No. You are only prevented from obtaining medical monitoring for the specific Human Disease for which you have a prior diagnosis. This diagnosis will not prevent you from being monitored for any of the other Human Diseases.

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The Medical Panel recommends the following medical monitoring for the six Human Diseases with a Probable Link to exposure to C-8.

  1. High Cholesterol
  2. (Hypercholesterolemia) All Class Members should be screened for high cholesterol, unless they have already been diagnosed or are under treatment for high cholesterol. The screening test is a simple blood test to measure fasting lipid serum profile.

  3. Thyroid Disease
  4. All Class Members 18 years and older should be screened for thyroid disease, unless they have already been diagnosed with or are already being treated for thyroid disease. The screening test is a simple blood test to measure serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

    Although the Medical Panel does not recommend routine screening for thyroid disease in Class Members less than 18 years of age, screening of Class Members under the age of 18 for thyroid disease may be done at the discretion of the physician and parents or legal guardian.

    If a female Class Member has been screened by the Medical Monitoring Program, and becomes pregnant or decides to try to become pregnant, the Class Member should be screened again for thyroid disease using the blood test for serum TSH. For Class Members who become pregnant, this screening should be done once at the first prenatal care visit.

    Depending on the results of the initial screening test, the screening physician may order additional diagnostic tests.

  5. Ulcerative Colitis
  6. All Class Members 15 years and older should be screened for ulcerative colitis, if they have not already been diagnosed with the disease.

    The screening should consist of a screening questionnaire to elicit symptoms and risk factors of ulcerative colitis. Depending on the results of the screening questionnaire, the screening physician may order additional diagnostic tests. The additional tests may include sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy and biopsy for symptomatic persons. The choice of type of endoscopy should be left to the Class Member and clinician to determine and be a function of the presenting clinical picture and the Class Member's wishes about sedation during the procedure. Stool testing for C. difficile and other pathogens should also be obtained in the symptomatic patient. The clinician may obtain other laboratory testing including a complete blood count and measures of inflammation (erythrocyte sedimentation rates ESR or C- reactive protein).

  7. Testicular Cancer
  8. All Male Class Members 15 to 50 years should be screened for testicular cancer using a screening questionnaire and testicular exam performed by a clinician. Male Class Members older than 50 years should be screened for testicular cancer using the screening questionnaire, but routine testicular examination by a physician is not recommended for males older than 50 years who do not have positive responses to the screening questions.

    For male Class Members under the age of 15 years, the testicular exam should be performed as part of well child pediatric visits, so the costs of the testicular exam for Class Members under the age of 15 years will NOT be paid by the Medical Monitoring Program.

    Testicular self-exam teaching at an age-appropriate time and through adulthood should also be done.

    Based on the results of the findings of the screening questionnaire and testicular examination, additional diagnostic tests, including ultrasound of the scrotum should be done. If ultrasound results suggest the need for surgery, additional tests, including imaging, may be performed and tumor markers (alpha feto-protein, beta human chorionic gonadotropin and lactate dehydrogenase) should be obtained.

  9. Kidney Cancer
  10. All Class Members age 20 or older should be screened for kidney cancer. Because of the lower risk of kidney cancer in younger adults, the screening procedure is different for those 40 years or older than for Class Members younger than 40 years.

    Class Members age 20 to 39 years should be screened by symptom questionnaire. If any symptoms are present, the physician should do an abdominal examination and obtain a urine test to check for blood. In Class Members with a positive abdominal examination or urine test for blood, the physician should order additional tests or refer to a specialist, which can include an abdominal imaging test, such as ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI.

    Class Members age 40 or older should be screened by symptom questionnaire, followed by an abdominal examination by a physician and a urine test to check for blood. In Class Members with a positive response on the questionnaire, an abnormal abdominal examination, or a positive urine test for blood, the physician should order additional tests or refer to a specialist, which can include an abdominal imaging test, such as ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI.

  11. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
  12. The Medical Panel recommends that prenatal care providers should perform screening tests at each prenatal care visit to detect the onset of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. The screening tests should be performed as part of regular prenatal care, so the costs of the screening tests will NOT be paid by the Medical Monitoring Program.

    If a pregnant Class Member expresses concern about gestational hypertension, medical care providers should recommend home monitoring of blood pressure in between visits beginning at the 20th week of gestation and order a home-use digital blood pressure monitoring device for this purpose. The Medical Monitoring Program will reimburse the Class Member for the cost of this device up to $150.

  13. Physician Consultation
  14. All Class Members should have an in-person office visit with a physician, at no cost to the Class Member, to discuss the benefits and risks of the tests offered within this Medical Monitoring Program as part of a shared decision-making model between patient and physician.

  15. C-8 Blood Testing
  16. All Class members should have a simple blood test to determine the current level of C-8 in their blood serum, which will enable the Medical panel to evaluate the future of the Medical Monitoring Program.

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You should fill out the Class Member Registration and Eligibility Form enclosed with the Notice you received. If you did not receive Notice or if you need another copy of the forms, you may obtain these forms from the website www.C-8MedicalMonitoringProgram.com, or by calling the Medical Monitoring Administrator toll free at (888) 499-2553 five days a week, Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 6:00PM EST.

You should send the completed forms, along with any required documentation, to the Medical Monitoring Administrator at the address listed on those forms. You may also complete the form online at www.C-8MedicalMonitoringProgram.com. The Medical Monitoring Administrator will promptly determine if you are an eligible Class Member. (Note: If you participated in the C-8 Health Project you are still required to complete the Registration and Eligibility Form however, the Administrator will review your previously submitted eligibility documentation and will contact you directly if additional information is required.) If you are an eligible Class Member, you will receive a letter containing detailed information explaining what steps you should take to receive medical monitoring as established by the Medical Panel.

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If you have been notified that you are an eligible Class Member, you will need to call the Medical Monitoring Administrator to schedule an appointment with a participating physician provider. Please call us toll free at (888) 499-2553 between the hours of 9:00AM - 5:00PM EST to schedule your appointment.

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If you cannot make the medical monitoring appointment that you have scheduled, you must call the Medical Monitoring Administrator to cancel or reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours in advance of the appointment. The C-8 Medical Monitoring Program will not pay provider bills for Class Members who miss appointments and have not cancelled within 24 hours of the appointment.

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Yes. All information submitted by Class Members and their physicians to the Medical Monitoring Program will be held in strict confidence and will be used solely for the purpose of administration of the Medical Monitoring Program. The Medical Panel may use the information to recommend when to do future screening tests and may publish information and results of the Medical Monitoring Program in medical journals or other reports. Any information about your findings will not identify you in any way and will be used only to analyze the program as a whole.

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The C-8 Medical Monitoring Program will provide reimbursement only for colonoscopy preparation medication, and Physician prescribed medication for a biopsy, inguinal exploration, or orchiectomy. In order to be reimbursed, you must either mail or fax the receipts for eligible medication to the Administrator at:

C-8 (PFOA) Medical Monitoring Program
c/o GCG
PO Box 10030
Dublin, Ohio 43017-6630

Or

Fax:
(614) 553-1222

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The Medical Panel has recommended that after your C-8 Medical Monitoring initial screening appointment you should continue to monitor certain specified symptoms that you did not have at the time of your screening appointment. Please click here to see the C-8 (PFOA) Medical Monitoring Program Medical Panel Recommended Follow-Up for New Symptoms of Probable Link Conditions detailing those symptoms. Should you develop any of these symptoms after your initial screening, you should call your physician to schedule an appointment.

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If you have been seen by a doctor as part of the C-8 (PFOA) Medical Monitoring Program, the Medical Panel has determined that you should have follow up screening three years after your first medical monitoring program screening took place. The Medical Panel has recommended that even if you had normal screening tests three years ago, you should have follow up screening since little is known about how long the effects of exposure to PFOA last.

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Yes. We are available by telephone to answer all of your questions. You may schedule either a telemedicine/virtual screening or a traditional in person screening. If you would like to have a telemedicine/virtual screening rather than an office screening, please let us know when you schedule your appointment so that we can find a physician who is conducting virtual screenings.

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Prior to your telemedicine/virtual physician screening appointment you must:

  • Complete all of the questions in the Class Member Screening Questionnaire form.
  • Complete and sign the HIPAA form.
  • Read and sign page 2 of the Class Member Screening Questionnaire form.
  • Submit the entire packet to your screening physician by:
    • Mailing the entire packet to your physician;
    • If you would prefer to e mail or upload the entire packet to your physician’s patient portal, ask your physician if his or her office is accepting packets by email or patient portal.

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All testing will be done at a Labcorp facility whether or not you are monitored in the physician’s office or through a telemedicine/virtual screening appointment. Follow your physician’s instructions to be tested at a LabCorp facility for any prescribed tests.

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If you have specific questions that you would like answered, you can speak with someone in the office of the Medical Monitoring Administrator by calling, toll-free, (888)499-2553 or emailing the Medical Monitoring Administration at ClaimantServices@C-8MedicalMonitoringProgram.com.

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If you have general questions, you can speak with someone in the office of the Medical Monitoring Administrator by calling, toll-free, (888) 499-2553 five days a week, Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 6:00PM EST.

If you have been notified that you are an Eligible Class Member and would like to schedule an appointment with a participating physician provider or if you have questions about bills for medical monitoring services that you have receive from a physician or questions about payments made to physicians on your behalf, you may call us toll-free at (888) 499-2553 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00AM -5:00PM EST.

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The Court appointed Class Counsel to represent the class under the Settlement Agreement. With respect to medical monitoring or Probable Link findings, these attorneys are available to you at no cost to you to answer any questions you might have about your rights under the Settlement Agreement.

Hill Peterson Carper Bee
& Deitzler, PLLC
Northgate Business Park
500 Tracy Way
Charleston, WV 25311
304-345-5667
www.hpcbd.com
Winter & Johnson PLLC
3437 Teays Valley Road
Hurricane, WV 25526
304-982-9199
lwinter@wjh-law.com
Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP
425 Walnut Street, Suite 1800
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-381-2838
www.taftlaw.com

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