The September 11 health care program restores cancer treatment certifications in the midst of weeks of uncertainty
The World Trade Center health program once again certifies disease -related diseases of September 11 after a few chaotic weeks that left certain cancer patients, including the first stakeholders, without access to treatment.
Certification is the process by which the federal program confirms that a disease linked to 9/11 is eligible for treatment or remuneration.
Dr. John Howard, the program administrator, is the only official authorized to approve these certifications, and his status has been in question for weeks.
Howard was dismissed in February and would have restored after the public counterpouss; However, there were signs that he was not completely and officially reinstated, including a freezing on certifications requiring his signature as late as Thursday morning.
https://abcnews.go.com/us/critical-ill-911-responders-turned-program-meant-save/story?id=121338021
In an internal note obtained by ABC News, a federal branch chief of the Department of Health and Social Services wrote: “We are able to take up registrations, certifications and letters for the moment.”
Firefighters in the middle of the rubble of the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks, September 11, 2001, in New York.
Universal History Archive / Universal Image Group via Getty Images
Dr. David Prezant, the New York fire doctor and director of his World Trade Center health program, confirmed to ABC News that he had received memo, and he was able to deal with new patients.
The opinion reports a turning point after what prezant had said was weeks of silence, confusion and deadly delays.
He also followed a federal prescription referring 20% of his staff in April – just a few months after his dismissal, then reinstated, a series of staff members, including Howard.
Representative Andrew Garbarino, a Republican who represents New York and is a long -standing watchdog for the program for the program, praised the news and has sworn to make sure Howard remains fully reinstated.
“All questions about Dr Howard’s authorities as a administrator have been resolved – as confirmed directly with Dr Howard himself,” Garbarino wrote to ABC News in a statement. “Now, inscriptions and certifications left in limbo must be treated immediately.”
“Let me be clear: everything that endangers the care for the responders and the survivors of September 11 is indefensible,” added the press release.
Ben Chevat, executive director of Citizens for the extension of the James Zadroga Act, credited the media coverage and the bipartite pressure to force the overthrow.
“I am happy that the speakers of September 11 who need care against cancer will get their care against cancer-but they should never have been delayed,” he said.
The restoration of certification means that the program can now examine and approve the complaints of survivors who developed new conditions related to terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Certification is a key step that allows patients to start treatment or deposit compensation. Without this, clinics were forced to postpone care to some of the most sick patients.
“The World Trade Center (WTC) healthcare clinical centers (WTC) and the national suppliers network continue to provide services to program members at the moment,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement in ABC News. “The program accepts, examines and deals with new registration requests and certification requests.”
“It is good that the certifications have resumed, but we have seen things that things can be cracked,” said Chevat. “We always need complete transparency and responsibility to ensure that this is no longer reproduced.”
For the moment, the clinics have been informed that they will see newly treated certifications before May 5 at the latest. The program staff and their supporters say they are relieved – but remain suspicious about the future.
