by Anemona Hartocollis
An advisory committee in March found justification for covering 14 broad categories of cancer, raising expectations that the fund would cover at least some of them. But such a decision would create a logistical quagmire, advocates for patients and government officials conceded, and could strain the fund’s resources.“Depending on the numbers of cancers and the criteria for those cancers, we would certainly be getting more and different claims than we were receiving previously,” said Sheila Birnbaum, the special master overseeing the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund. “We cannot add any more money to the fund, so we would have to prorate what we’re giving to people depending on the amount of people that apply, the seriousness of their injuries, the economic loss that they’ve sustained.”The [NIOSH] advisory committee found some evidence linking Sept. 11 to increased rates of cancer, but existing studies are far from conclusive. And since there is probably no way to distinguish those who developed cancer from ground zero from those who might have developed it anyway, anyone who can prove sustained exposure could potentially be eligible for payment.
'via Blog this'
No comments:
Post a Comment