People directly exposed to the 2001 World Trade Center disaster were four times more likely than other people to report post-traumatic stress symptoms in 2006-2007, a new study shows. While many studies have documented the adverse physical and mental health conditions associated with 9/11, most have focused on the short-term health effects within the first three years following the disaster. In a new study, "Asthma and Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms 5 to 6 Years Following Exposure to the World Trade Center Terrorist Attack," the Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined the nation's largest cohort of directly exposed people. Approximately 50,000 study participants reported their symptoms in a survey completed online, by mail or over the telephone; their medical records were not reviewed. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found elevated asthma rates among exposed people. But new asthma diagnoses were more likely to be reported in the first 16 months after 9/11 than later, in 2004-2006.
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The House Judiciary Committee recently approved  a key portion of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act  (HR 847).The legislation would reopen the Victim Compensation Fund for rescue and recovery workers exposed to the World Trade Center disaster. The vote is a crucial step toward the goal of passing HR 847 by the eighth anniversary of the attacks.
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Similar to President Obama's initial budget proposal, which was released back in May, the House of Representatives budget  (HR 3293) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services includes more than $70 million in new funding for the medical screening and treatment of people affected by 9/11.
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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently awarded the WTC Health Registry $4 million per year for the next three years for continued monitoring of the long-term physical and mental health effects of 9/11. The Health Registry was previously funded by the U.S. Department of Health’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
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The Health Department recently released clinical guidelines  for health care providers on how to treat children and adolescents exposed to the WTC disaster. The guidelines were written and reviewed in collaboration with external researchers and clinical advisors. Drafts were also shared with community representatives for input.
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New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a press conference in the nation's capital alongside Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senators Charles Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, and Robert Menendez to introduce the Senate version (S 1334) of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Similar to the House bill (HR 847), this legislation would provide permanent long-term federal funding to monitor and treat those affected by the World Trade Center disaster including rescue and recovery workers and residents of Lower Manhattan. In addition, the bill also would re-open the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, and Michael McMahon, who sponsored the House legislation, also appeared at the announcement.
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The Health Department recently sent the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Bulletin to more than 65,000 people who signed up to receive its flagship publication. It was also sent to Spanish and Chinese community-based organizations. Entitled "Is 9/11 affecting your health?," the bulletin offers city residents advice on how to get information, treatment and help for 9/11-related health problems, such as free diagnostic and treatment services at the WTC Centers of Excellence. It is the only printed document in the city that provides an overview of 9/11 health issues and lists all of the publicly funded services available to those affected by the disaster.

The bulletin is available in English, Spanish and Chinese. For copies, call 311. It is also available at all New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation hospitals.

The New York City Council's Civil Service & Labor Committee recently held a hearing on Introduction No. 714, which would create a presumption of line-of-duty (LODI) benefits for World Trade Center (WTC) related conditions as covered by the New York State pension law. The bill would eliminate medical judgment from a broad class of pension decisions. Representatives of the City as well as two municipal unions appeared at the hearing.
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The September 11th Worker Protection Task Force recently issued its 2009 annual report , recommending the following legislative changes:

• Tiers I and II of the NYC Teachers' Retirement System and the Board of Education Retirement System should be included in the World Trade Center Disability Law.
• The definition of "qualifying condition" under Workers' Compensation Law should be changed from the term "œlatent condition" to a non-exhaustive list of qualifying conditions based on a similar list from the NYS Retirement and Social Security Law.
• The Workers' Compensation Board should contact certain 9/11 claimants whose cases have been closed, advise them of their right to file medical evidence and reopen their claims, and suggest that they may wish to consult an attorney and/or attend publicly-funded 9/11 medical clinics.
• New York City and other self-insured employers and carriers should review their internal practices and avoid inappropriate delays of claims and appeals.
• The Workers' Compensation Committee of the Task Force should remain in place to monitor continuing developments in rescue, recovery and cleanup claims (following a yearlong review of the New York State workers' compensation system, this committee produced its own list of recommended changes which are included as Exhibit B in the report).

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For more information or to download the dataset, visit Health Data Tools.

The Health Department recently released updated clinical guidelines for health care providers on how to treat adults exposed to the WTC disaster. The guidelines were written and reviewed in collaboration with external medical experts and other clinical advisors. Drafts were also shared with the WTC Health Registry's labor and community advisory committees for input.
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New York State has extended two important deadlines for workers who have 9/11-related health problems or who may develop them in the future.

Workers’ Compensation Deadline: September 11, 2010

Disability Deadline: September 11, 2010
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