The U.S. Treasury Department says it’s working to fix an administrative problem that has blocked some payments for medical services to New York City 9/11 survivors, including firefighters and paramedics, for almost four years.
The New York Daily News reported Thursday that the Treasury Department “started withholding parts of payments — nearly four years ago — meant to cover medical services for firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics treated by the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program.”
In June, Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York City’s Long Island suburbs, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to “express my concerns regarding the Treasury Department's withholding of $1.5 million in reimbursements to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) for health care provided to firefighters who are sick and injured due to the toxins they encountered at Ground Zero.” King told NBC News he raised the issue again with Vice President Mike Pence on Friday morning during a 9/11 memorial ceremony in lower Manhattan, and also spoke with Pence’s chief of staff about it.
King told NBC News the withholding of funds was “totally disgraceful. It’s out of a bad movie.”
The issue with the health program payments stems from debts owed to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Read the full story at NBCNews.com.
