Last night, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) promulgated the final rule adding 58 conditions to the list of conditions eligible for coverage under the Zadroga Act. This list includes mesothelioma. Cancer, in general, was originally not covered under the legislation. This is a great victory for the mesothelioma community, as the large release of asbestos at ground zero has been documented. Given the long latency period of mesothelioma (10-60 years), we have clearly not seen the end of this tragedy. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has been a vocal advocate for the addition of mesothelioma as a condition eligible for coverage and we are ecstatic to see this addition.
The program is funded for approximately three more years, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is expected to introduce an extension sometime this fall.
For more information, please see our earlier blog:
http://curemeso.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/september-11-and-mesothelioma-11-years-of-work/
