"More Children Will Be Tested for Lead Under Lawsuit Settlement"

"Under a lawsuit settlement, all Washington children covered by Medicaid will be eligible for lead-poisoning testing if their parents request it — or if they live in old buildings, are recent immigrants or face other exposure risks."

"After years of living in public housing, Virla Spencer worried that her children might have been exposed to lead from peeling paint or other sources in the environment.

But when she asked for blood tests under the state’s Medicaid program, her doctor refused.

'She said, ‘We don’t really test for lead here in Washington,’ ' Spencer recalled.

So when Spencer heard about a class-action lawsuit to force the state to expand lead screening for low-income kids, she signed on as the primary plaintiff."

Sandi Doughton reports for the Seattle Times December 10, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

More Lead in Plumbing Found at Flint's Brownell School: Michigan Report (Flint Journal)