9/11 Responder Health-Care-For-Life Bill Still Kicking
NY politicians are pushing Congress to pass a bill that would provide Ground Zero workers with health care for life. The $11 billion James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, named after the NYC cop who died of toxic dust from Ground Zero, is a supplement to the $657 million settlement that NYC has offered for the thousands of 9/11 responders who were sickened by the toxic conditions.
The settlement, which must be approved by a judge and 95% of the plaintiffs in the next 90 days, works on a points system based on severity of illness; even if it passes, the Zadroga bill is a more permanent, long-term solution for health care woes. "Some say [the settlement] is a good deal, some say it is a bad deal. One thing we all agree upon, even if it is completely adopted, it is entirely insufficient to deal with all the health problems we have," Rep. Anthony Weiner told the Daily News. The bill, co-authored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Rep.Jerrold Nadler, has been "languishing in Congress for years," according to the News, and likely won't be resolved before the settlement deadline.
