As 9/11 Illnesses Mount, NYC Moves To Aid Responders' Families

NEW YORK — New York City could soon expand aid for the families of 9/11 first-responders as sicknesses mount 18 years after the infamous attacks.

Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed local legislation Tuesday to provide health insurance for the survivors of all city employees who die from 9/11-related illnesses.

The bill would ensure that the families of as many as 5,000 sanitation workers, correction officers and other municipal employees have access to health care after their loved ones are gone, city officials said.

"On our city’s darkest day, thousands of City employees answered the call," de Blasio, a Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday, a day before the 18th anniversary of the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center. "They didn’t hesitate. We need to be there for their families, now and always."

The proposal comes amid an apparent rise in health problems among 9/11 first-responders and other survivors.

The city's WTC Environmental Health Center providing services to people eligible for care under the federal law offering health benefits to 9/11 survivors had nearly 11,000 patients as of this July, up from 9,700 last year, officials said Tuesday. And the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund saw a surge in claims after concerns last year that it may run out of money. The fund got a permanent reauthorization in July.

Current city law only ensures city health coverage for the survivors of police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who die from 9/11 sicknesses in active service or after retirement, city officials said.

Families of uniformed sanitation workers and correction officers are only eligible for coverage if their loved ones die while still serving, and other city workers' survivors do not have access to the insurance at all, according to the mayor's office.

De Blasio's bill would change the law so that the families of all city workers affected by 9/11 sicknesses are treated the same, officials said. The mayor's office estimates that the legislation would cover about 5,000 employees whose agencies have verified that they participated in the rescue, recovery and cleanup after the attacks.

Council Speaker Corey Johnson said he looks forward to seeing the mayor's bill.

"The Council is committed to ensuring that the families and loved ones of all 9/11 victims are treated with dignity and fairness," Johnson said in a statement.

Another 16 council members issued statements praising de Blasio for putting the measure forward — including Margaret Chin, whose Lower Manhattan district includes the World Trade Center.

"The ongoing commitment our City and country owe to the survivors and families of 9/11 have no deadline, and I am thankful that the City is exploring additional tools to make good on that commitment," Chin said in a statement.