Giuliani hospitalized in West Palm Beach with pneumonia
Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized in West Palm with pneumonia. He was intubated and is currently breathing on his own and in critical but stable condition.
- Mr. Giuliani’s lawyer said the former New York mayor has been diagnosed with a respiratory illness related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
- A lawyer helping Mr. Giuliani enroll in the WTC health program said many people are waiting to apply. But you shouldn’t.
- Survivors are eligible for the same benefits as first responders. “They were all exposed to the same toxin,” said attorney Michael Barash.
Rudy Giuliani, who was hospitalized in Florida with pneumonia after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is now applying for insurance under the World Trade Center Health Program, which his lawyer claims was caused by exposure to a toxic substance.
Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized on May 3. Giuliani’s spokesman Ted Goodman said the former New York mayor was being treated for pneumonia.
Goodman also revealed that Giuliani had previously been diagnosed with restrictive airway disease, and attributed the octogenarian’s illness to exposure to pollutants at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while he was mayor.
Michael Barasch, an attorney who helped the former New York City mayor certify the WTC health program, acknowledged that Giuliani has only recently applied to join the program a quarter of a century later.
Tens of thousands of people may still be able to register.
Barash said such delays are not uncommon.
“This condition is very common in people who aren’t firefighters, police officers or construction workers,” Barash said. These responder unions have done a great job of making sure the public has access to 9/11 health insurance and Victim Compensation Fund coverage before it’s needed, Barash said.
Benjamin Shubat, executive director of Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, said the program’s definition of a responder includes anyone who comes to help.
Mr. Ceva said Mr. Giuliani might be classified as a responder because he was the mayor.
Survivors, including those who lived, worked and attended school in Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001 and in the months that followed, are also entitled to these programs.
“They were all exposed to the same toxins,” said Barash, who has facilitated thousands of people enrolling in the WTC Health Program.
The WTC Health Program’s Rough Road
The WTC Health Program was established as part of the James Zadroga Health Coverage Act signed into law in 2011.
The act also established the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. The two programs are different. However, to qualify for the VCF, applicants must be certified by the WTC Health Program.
First responders fought hard to establish the program and ensure its funding was replenished, lobbying Congress and some using wheelchairs due to illness.
After years of lobbying by first responders, the program finally received full funding this year.
The WTC Health Program is also responsible for researching medical conditions thought to be attributable to the 9/11 illnesses and targeted by the program.
This year, the program has undergone several cuts and subsequent repairs.
U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently promised to lift the hiring freeze on the WTC Health Program, which has lost key personnel.
Chebat said questions remain about how the recruitment will proceed. The program is under the umbrella of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is cutting jobs.
Chebat said he welcomed cooperation from Giuliani, who previously worked with him in the Trump administration and remains a friend of the president, and would urge Kennedy to make sure the WTC health program is fully operational.
Meanwhile, 9/11 Health Watch continues to advocate for the release of documents that answer what the city knew about the danger and when it knew it.
Cevato said he hopes Giuliani will support the release of records collected during his time as mayor that could address these questions.
Program covers treatment of 9/11 illnesses
Because Mr. Giuliani is only currently seeking certification, Mr. Barash acknowledged that even if his illness is confirmed to be a 9/11 disease, the costs associated with his current hospitalization will not be covered.
But if Giuliani is accepted, future 9/11-related illnesses could also be covered, Barash said.
The World Trade Center Health Program has now classified 69 cancers as related to exposure to Ground Zero’s toxic vortex. The program also lists various respiratory health issues and post-traumatic stress disorder as related health effects.
More than 150,000 people are currently enrolled in the WTC Health Program, but hundreds of thousands more could become eligible, Barash said.
By 2026, three times as many people will have died from 9/11-related illnesses as those who died at the Pentagon World Trade Center in Pennsylvania and the four hijacked jets.
Providing evidence becomes more difficult as the years pass.
There is a big difference between the interests of responders and survivors. First responders are entitled to free annual medical examinations at the World Trade Center Clinical Center of Excellence, but civilians are not entitled to medical examinations unless they are sick.
Barash says that’s unfair.
To qualify under the World Trade Center Health Program, patients must be able to document that they were in the area after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
For Giuliani, that’s not difficult. “He was the poster child for 9/11,” said Barash, a 9/11 cancer survivor. There are numerous photos and video footage of the former mayor at Ground Zero.
But even after decades, some still struggle to prove they meet the standards.
“That’s why I’m telling healthy people to register now. Make sure you have proof,” Barash said.
Note: This article has been updated to add additional sources and information.
