| John Mitty Tuesday, July 2, 2013 |
Troy Rosasco and Daniel J Hansen, Partners at Turley, Hansen & Partners, are urging all first responders and survivors who have been sickened as the result of exposure to airborne toxins from the Ground Zero site to comment on a proposed rule that would allow prostate cancer to be covered under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Mr. Rosasco and Mr. Hansen believe that, between the strong support for this law and new recent medical findings, the disease will be covered by the end of the summer and those with the disease will be eligible to collect their fair share of the $2.775 billion 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF).
On May 2, Dr. John Howard, Administrator, World Trade Center Health program, received a petition from the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association requesting the addition of prostate cancer to the list of World Trade Center-related health conditions covered in the WTC Health program. Dr. Howard made the determination to add prostate cancer to the covered conditions in response to the NYC PBA’s petition. The determination was based on the recent publication of two more studies showing an increased risk of prostate cancer among WTC responders and a review of other information on the toxicity of the exposures at the WTC.
On July 2, the proposed rule was made available for public comment by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. The comment period runs until August 1, after which Dr. Howard would make a final determination based on the comments he received. Once that is completed, 9/11 first responders and survivors could start to receive treatment for prostate cancer by the end of the summer.
On September 10, 2012, the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced that the dust and airborne toxins contributed to respiratory-related illnesses and various forms of cancers. This meant that those who were diagnosed with certain cancers — but were not eligible to date under the Zadroga Act — were now eligible to collect from the VCF. When Sheila Birnbaum, Special Master, 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, reopened the fund on October 3, 2011, to first responders and survivors who worked in the Ground Zero area between September 11, 2001 and May 30, 2002, she specified that only those illnesses accepted by NIOSH would be accepted by the VCF for compensation claims. However, prostate cancer was not included on that list.
“This is very significant to the first responders and survivors because prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers affecting first responders,” Mr. Rosasco says. “We were very upset that we had to tell our clients last year that prostate cancer was not included under the Zadroga Act. However, now hope is on the horizon for the many first responders with prostate cancer. Hopefully, Dr. Howard will reverse course and correct this past mistake and make it right.”
“We urge those who have been sickened from the airborne toxins at the Ground Zero site to comment on this proposed rule,” Mr. Hansen says. “We hope that there will be enough comments to sway Dr. Howard’s decision to include this disease on the list of cancers to be covered under the Zadroga Act. He has already cited two medical studies further showing high incidences of prostate cancer among 9/11 first responders which prompted him to bring this up for comment. This should be the impetus to have prostate cancer covered by the end of the summer.”
For more information, call 1 (855) WTC-INFO or visit www.zadrogaclaimsinfo.com.
jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com Appears In: Press Releases
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