Twenty years after 9/11, the first responders are struggling to receive benefits promised to them for their service as health conditions tied to being on ground zero continue to flare up.
A Sept. 10 NBC report interviewing 20 first responders documented difficulties they faced in receiving World Trade Center Health Program benefits, which is orchestrated by La Crosse, Wis.-based Logistics Health.
The number of members Logistics Health serves since it won the WTCHP contract has increased by 500 percent, and the one-on-one customer service structure has since given way to a call center that doesn't accommodate the widespread post-traumatic stress of its members, according to NBC.
Members claim regular health screenings, which are covered, have grown increasingly difficult to do, as approved, local providers are few and far between. Members also claim that wait times to speak to a representative to discuss coverage can take upward of an hour, which is especially harmful to those suffering from trauma, according to NBC.
Logistics Health told NBC that it is reviewing member concerns as it stands by its commitment to "treating every individual we serve with care and compassion."