The World Trade Center Health Program could get a much-needed infusion of funds if the U.S. Senate gets its way. Senators voted last week to deliver $676 million to the program, which provides medical monitoring and treatment to 9/11 survivors and responders, as part of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment would also allow excluded Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa., responders to join the program. But it only closes the funding shortfall set for the 2029 fiscal year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand acknowledged. Even if the funding makes it into the final NDAA version after negotiations with the House, it won’t be enough to keep pace with the anticipated costs of serving the program’s roughly 124,000 enrollees (and counting). The program is authorized through 2090. “As each day the number of 9/11 responders and survivors with cancer or respiratory illness continues to increase, we need to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program — permanently, for the entire lives of 9/11 victims,” attorney Michael Barasch, who represents 35,000 9/11 responders and survivors, said in a statement. While the House didn’t include funds for the program in its version of the annual defense policy legislation, Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino blamed that on a procedural rule prohibiting appropriations from being included as amendments to an authorization bill. Garbarino, a Republican, said he will “fight like hell” to get the funding through conference committee and signed into law. “Although this is only a partial fix for the funding gap, it will provide a further cushion for the program before cuts are necessary and allow us time to secure the full funding needed,” Garbarino said in a statement to POLITICO. IN OTHER NEWS: — NYC Health + Hospitals is expanding its Hepatitis C navigator program to three new sites: Lincoln, Metropolitan and Woodhull hospitals. The navigator program, which was previously available at six locations, supports patients with the disease and makes sure they finish the 8-to-12-week antiviral regimen. The expansion will enable the health system to test and treat more people for the viral infection, which disproportionately affects people with a substance use disorder, people who are or were recently incarcerated; and people living with HIV. An estimated 1,500 Health + Hospitals patients have a Hepatitis C infection that has not been cured, the system said in a release. — Over $22 million from the state’s opioid settlement fund will go to recovery centers across the state and organizations connecting underserved and high-need populations to care, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. Recovery Community and Outreach Centers, which provide nonclinical community settings, will be awarded enough funding to bring their annual operating budget to $535,000 for two years. And 11 providers will receive $200,000 per year for three years to support care connection work with pregnant and postpartum women, aging adults, young people ages 18 to 25, individuals who were recently incarcerated and other high-need populations. GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at mkaufman@politico.com.
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