NEW YORK — Former NYPD traffic supervisor Walter Clark has nothing but good things to say about New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the care he received for his 9/11-related double lung transplant. But the bureaucratic nightmare that comes with it because the hospital won’t accept a health plan covering ground zero survivors is another matter altogether.
First established in 2010, the World Trade Center Health Program provides screenings and treatment for more than 100,000 responders and workers suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. Covered conditions range from respiratory diseases, digestive disorders, cancers and other ailments caused by exposure to toxins that drifted over lower Manhattan for months after the collapse of the Twin Towers.
The idea behind the program is not just that it treats ill heroes, but relieves them from the stress of navigating notoriously difficult rules of insurance providers. Clark doesn’t get that break.
