Hullabaloo

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

 
Some good news for 9/11 responders

by David Atkins

This has been a long time in coming:

Several types of cancer have been added to a list of ailments covered by a government program benefitting first-responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The final rule, issued on the eve of the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, now incorporates around 50 types of cancer.

Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, first proposed the addition of cancer to illnesses covered by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in June, making the ruling official on Monday.

Initially, cancer was excluded from the list of illnesses covered by the $4.3 billion fund because there was not enough scientific evidence to prove that cancer was a medical condition resulting from exposure to dust, debris, and toxins at Ground Zero in the days after the attack. Now, however, after further review and input from various scientific organizations and trade unions, Howard's proposition has been approved.

According to the rule, of those enrolled to receive funds under this act, the cancer rate is 21 percent higher than the national average. About 60,000 people are covered by the act, including police offices, firefighters, cleanup crews, and eligible survivors of the attack. The rule will be effective 30 days after its Sept. 12 publication in the Federal Register.

It's about damn time. Especially after years of insistence from the Bush Administration that there was no cancer risk, and then Senate Republicans blocked healthcare coverage for first responders.

It's still incredible to me that a political party that wants to deny cancer coverage for the heroes of 9/11 while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans can still win a dogcatcher's race. It takes a special strain of ugly to vote for and associate with people like that. I don't understand them, I don't make them my friends, and I wouldn't ever want to.

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thereisnospoon 9/12/2012 07:30:00 AM