Six years after the World Trade Center attacks, many rescue and recovery workers suffering from serious health problems claim the government isn?t doing enough to help with medical bills and treatment.
Many workers say they now suffer from heart and lung problems as a result of breathing toxic dust for weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks. Some say their medical bills, as a result, have left them devastated and in debt.
A recent Mount Sinai Medical Center study found nearly seven in 10 rescue and recovery workers report they have respiratory problems. A New York City Department of Health study also found rescue and recovery workers are 12 times more likely to suffer from asthma.
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer recently gave Ground Zero workers and volunteers another year to register with New York?s Workers Compensation Board. However, figures from that board show that as of last month, 30 percent of all World Trade Center claims were turned down.
Congress plans to begin hearings to look into a medical monitoring and treatment program for all Sept. 11 responders next week.