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Subscribe to RSSThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is giving surviving first responders and victims of the 9/11 attacks cancer coverage under the Zadroga Health and Compensation Law. NBC's Robert Bazell reports.
Updated at 5:15 p.m. ET: The federal government on Monday added 14 categories of cancer to the list of illnesses linked to the 9/11 terror attacks, which brings added coverage to rescue workers and people living near ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health approved the additions to the list of illnesses covered in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which were proposed in June. The updated regulations take effect 30 days after the ruling is published in the Federal Register.
See more on this story on NBCNewYork.com
The decision "marks an important step in the effort to provide needed treatment and care to 9/11 responders and survivors," said Dr. John Howard, administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program established by the Zadroga law.
The Zadroga Act — named after NYPD Detective James Zadroga, who died at age 34 after working at ground zero — was signed into law nearly two years ago. Despite the hundreds of sick responders, the act did not cover cancer because of a supposed lack of scientific evidence linking cancer to ground zero toxins.
"We are getting sick in record numbers," said Ray Pfeiffer, a first responder who was diagnosed three years ago with kidney cancer. He said it has been a struggle to pay for expensive medications not fully covered by his insurance.
"It's fantastic news," he said of the expanded list of covered illnesses.
From the first hours of rescue efforts at the World Trade Center site, many feared that the fumes and dust contained chemicals that might cause cancer and other diseases. A new study claims those firemen suffer an increased rate of cancer. NBC's Robert Bazell reports.
About 400 residents and rescue workers have died from cancer since 9/11, according to the New York Post.
With cancer included in the program more victims are likely to seek compensation, which could cause individual awards to be reduced as officials divide up the $2.77 billion fund.
"They’re going to add cancers, but are they going to add more money to the fund?" Thomas "T.J." Gilmartin, who suffers from lung disease and sleep apnea, said to the Post. "It’s crazy. Every time, we gotta fight. It’s two years since Obama signed that bill, and nobody’s got 10 cents."
"We fought long and hard to make sure that our 9/11 heroes suffering from cancers obtained from their work at ground zero get the help they deserve," U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer, both of New York, said in a statement. "Today's announcement is a huge step forward that will provide justice and support to so many who are now suffering from cancer and other illnesses. We will press on - with advocates, the community, and our partners in government - to ensure that all those who suffered harm from 9/11 and its aftermath get the access to the program they so desperately need."
Family photo via NY Daily News / AP File
In this undated file photo, New York City Police Det. James Zadroga, left, holds his daughter Tylerann. Fifty cancers will be added to the Zadroga Act, which was named after the detective--who died of respiratory failure in Jan. 2006 after working at ground zero.
Last week, the New York City Fire Department added nine names to the 55 already etched on a wall honoring members who have died of illnesses related to ground zero rescue and recovery work, Reuters reported.
Some estimates put the overall death toll from 9/11-related illness at more than 1,000, according to Reuters. At least 20,000 ground zero workers are being treated across the country and 40,000 are being monitored by the World Trade Center Health Program, Reuters reported.
Tuesday marks the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Last fall, the September 11 Memorial at ground zero finally opened in the footprints of the original towers. Since then, more than 4 million people have visited.
Financial, security and design setbacks have delayed the redevelopment of the World Trade Center in the past decade. A recent project audit indicates that overall site redevelopment costs have grown to nearly $15 billion.
One World Trade Center is nearing completion and is expected to open in 2014.
NBCNewYork.com's Brynn Gingras and Reuters contributed to this report.
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I worked for Indiana's OSHA program at the time. Indiana sent a team of Industrial Hygenists to ground zero almost immediately after this horrible incident. Air samples were continually taken and rescue workers were repeatedly informed of the dangers of the dust, and informed they should be wearing respirators. Although the rescuers were brave, and did much great work, they were also stupid to continually refuse to wear respirators.
We should sue the Muslim nations to recover ALL the costs related to these terror attacks. Including all the embassy bombings, blown up airliners (not just 911), damage to the USS Cole, etc. After all those countries support and encourage this behavior.
Ridiculous comment.
If that's the case there should be a line of Central & South American countries lining up to sue the US Federal government. Might as well throw Haiti, Iran and Iraq in there as well.
Cancer should not be covered. Insurance companies should not be forced to cover this. Just drop these individuals from covered care because it pushes rates up on the healthy ones. Government definitely should not be sticking its nose into covering these medical treatments. Why should one's cancer care coverage be different than anyone else's? Pay for it out of pocket. Eliminate coverage for pre existing and take away insurance coverage for family members under 25 while we are at it. Can't wait until Romney gets in and takes care of this and takes this away.
Ingnorance is bliss, is it not, Blackie!
Insurance companies should be forced to cover something !
They collect premiums and make huge profits off them and try to deny every claim that passes their desks.
The medical industry is an out of control racket, top to bottom, for corporations.
Mr. Swagganaut, I have to give you some real credit. Atleast you had the courage to say how you really feel about public servants, on a day that most atleast lie about how they feel. I say thank you for your honesty because most people hate us for 364 days a year then tell us how great we are and how they will do anything for us, that is until 9/12 then its right back to telling us how we are muching off the communities.
I would like to point out a simple fact that a lot of people seem to overlook. When you stated that you dont want one cent of your tax dollars to go to this cause or pay for any of this, you failed to realize that you don't get to pick what programs the goverment spend your tax dollars on. I'm going to let in on a secret "you" have never as an individual tax payer ever personally paid for any service you have ever recieved from society. That is unless you are the highest tax payer in your community and the U.S. and I'm going to go with you are not that person. Another tip for you, if you added all the taxes you have ever paid in you enitre working life together you probalbly would have not paid for your individual take from our society not to mention if you have children.
When you say "I'm not paying" that is a true statement your not, we all are "together" to have a great society. You see you as an individual have taken more from society than you will ever personnaly give back in taxes or service. In the community I serve in there is one person that pays more in personal tax than anyone else in the entire community to include a worldwide company that has its headquarters in the town. Would you like to know how many times we has complained about his tax bill to anyone who will listen? "Zero" thats right zero and he actually can say "I" pay your salery. Do you know what he does do? When he sees a firefighter or police officer? He says thank you for your service to my community and can I buy you a coffee? My response has always been and always will be "thank sir but I can pay for my own coffee you've done enough for our community." Here is a man that could look down his nose at the "pee on's" that serve his community and not even ackownledge our existance but says thank you instead. He gets what the word community means.
Well I am sure this will fall on a deaf ear but I felt I needed to get that off my chest. I really do mean it when I say atleast you have some courage. I am in no way being sarcastic. Atleast I know where I really stand in your eyes. So tomorrow when I kiss my wife and kids when I leave for work, with the real chance that I could never see them again because that's the deal you make when you are a Fire Fighter, Police Officer or Medic/EMT. I'll let them know not to accept any additional assistance beyond what my job will give them because I don't want them to be a burden to society after I was taken from them while I was "just doing my job". I am sure they will understand.
P.S. Please let me know when you have figured out what you have taken vs. what you have paid. Maybe when you look at real numbers you will see just how rediculous you sound when you say "I'm not paying for it".
nice reply sir and i would add that those who think in the manner you've described are also usually the first ones in line when a disaster happens to them and yell the loudest too.
but of course they'd deny it...until it happened to them and they have nowhere to turn to. then society looking after each other doesn't seem so bad.
I'm not going to pretend to know what Mr. Swagganaut posted to upset you, I disagreed with one of his posts myself earlier.
But I have to reply to this theory of yours "What one has taken vs. paid", because number one I have no idea what you're talking about, and number two, I don't think you do either.
If you a serviceman, I appreciate your service and I don't blame you for what our federal government officials and their corporate bosses have done and are currently doing, you brave men and women are doing just what you're trained to and supposed to do.
With that said let's not dilute things, what our "elected" officials and their bosses are doing have nothing to do with freedom, democracy, civil rights, human rights, or doing the right thing.
As far as actual monetary contribution to this society and country, with the percentage of money that is stolen from our income and given to the federal government, and how it's wasted and abused, has been paid ten times over by the working class.
To top all that off we never own our houses or the land it's on due to ridiculous bank loans and property tax. Then the banks turn around and use the depositors money, the working class again, to make money for themselves off investing. But the average person can't get a decent interest bearing account, and is charged ridiculous fees by their local branch.
Obama promised change, and that's what we all got. "Pocket" change, barely enough to buy a cup of coffee.
Take the cost of helping our own afflicted with disease from 9/11 by reducing our foreign aid to the middle eastern countries that harbored these terrorists. Since they didn't seem to care that these scumbags came over here, we shouldn't care that our foreign aid doesn't go over there. Tit for Tat!
Isn't it something that the Bush administration could make sure the mistresses of all those executives were "properly compensated" if they could prove they were being supported by those scumbags, but couldn't take care of the health needs of the first responders!!! Finally, some commonsense prevails!
Now that the cancer victims have died, the gov. decides cancer was a problem. What a crapy country, America has become. Help the victims, then get screwed by the Government/medical profession.
It is about time that the cancers were added to the list. We all knew that in the aftermath of 9/11 that people would be getting sick in all types of ways. The government and both sets of parties are PATHETIC!!!! Majority of all of them in the House and the Senate do not deserve the seats that they occupy. How can we expect millionaires to care about 5 digit earners. I mean really folks. If we really had people in office who were truly there for all of the people of there said state, then the USA would be totally different. IJS
Come on people...it doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. We are all apart of the United States of America and those first responders, whether they died on 9/11/2001 or after, they gave their lives--not caring if they were saving a Democrat or a Republican. We need to learn to work together! Washington REALLY needs to pay attention to what the people want and listen to why they were elected into office (stop with their own hidden agendas). Thank goodness the first responders and people at ground zero will have added coverage under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act...this is the least we can do for them.
No one got any money from the nuclear blasts in Nevada either (downwinders). Our government is good at passing laws to make it look like they care -- not so good at actually having people get money they deserve as specified in said law. Did they honestly believe we'd swallow that the building WASN'T full of asbestos and other toxins? I hope the 9/11 responders and others keep fighting to get the medical care they deserve.... of course this wouldn't be a problem if we had a single payer system but that's a fight for another day...
Ok heres on e for those who claim that only a government ran by democrats can fix us. Free birth control. Why should I have to pay for someone elses lack of judgement. If you want to have sex with multiple partners thats great I have no issues with that. But you should pay for own protection. The only exception would be rape or molestation. Also just to show that I am not some right wing bible thumper, I happen to agree that abortions should be a choice given to women, its their body. My only reservation would be paying for it if it is not caused by rape or doesn't threaten the life of the mother. I think their should create a law where the father should share in the financial responsibility. If you don't have the money maybe they can bill you. Either way I don't like having to use my hard earned money (full time job and full time college student) to pay for someone elses responsibility. Plus if you don't want the kid there is always adoption. There are lots of couples who cannot have kids of their own who would love to take care of those kids. Me personally I have two kids of my own which I know is expensive. I rarley get to spoil my self with new gadgets or other luxuries but thats ok, I would rather ensure my kids are taken care of because they are my priority. Also I'm not saying you have to be rich to have kids, I grew up on welfare and I came out ok. Weel I think I have said my piece. Have a good day.