Montana Asbestos Clinic Closes Amid Lawsuit and Funding Uncertainty

The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) in Libby, Montana—a nonprofit clinic providing free screenings for asbestos-related illnesses—has shut down after a lawsuit and may face permanent closure. In May, a court allowed BNSF Railway to seize CARD’s property to collect $2.9 million from a whistleblower lawsuit. BNSF alleged the clinic defrauded Medicare by misdiagnosing patients; a jury found CARD falsified records for over 300 individuals.

The clinic’s future is further endangered by potential cuts to the federal grant it relied on, which is under review by the Trump administration despite the federal government defending CARD in court.

CARD's closure leaves Libby residents—many still suffering from asbestos exposure caused by decades of vermiculite mining—without critical health services. In a town where 1 in 10 residents has asbestos-linked disease, the loss of CARD cuts off specialized care essential for early diagnosis and treatment of deadly conditions.

15-07-2025