Responders who spent weeks at Ground Zero are being diagnosed with dementia at ages when the condition is rare, and the federal program created to treat their 9/11 illnesses does not pay for it. NBC News reporting on responders and dementia found that doctors and scientists are pushing to add the condition to the list the World Trade Center Health Program certifies.
The program serves nearly 150,000 responders and survivors and pays for monitoring and treatment of certified conditions at no cost, including cancers, respiratory and digestive disorders, PTSD, depression and anxiety. Dementia and mild cognitive impairment are not on that list, so a responder diagnosed with either pays through ordinary insurance or out of pocket.
