Good morning and welcome to the Weekly New York Health Care newsletter, where we keep you posted on what’s coming up this week in health care news, and offer a look back at the important news from last week.

The World Trade Center Health Program could get a much-needed infusion of funds if the U.S. Senate gets its way.

Senators voted last week to deliver $676 million to the program, which provides medical monitoring and treatment to 9/11 survivors and responders, as part of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

The amendment would also allow excluded Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa., responders to join the program.

But it only closes the funding shortfall set for the 2029 fiscal year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand acknowledged.

Even if the funding makes it into the final NDAA version after negotiations with the House, it won’t be enough to keep pace with the anticipated costs of serving the program’s roughly 124,000 enrollees (and counting).

The program is authorized through 2090.

“As each day the number of 9/11 responders and survivors with cancer or respiratory illness continues to increase, we need to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program — permanently, for the entire lives of 9/11 victims,” attorney Michael Barasch, who represents 35,000 9/11 responders and survivors, said in a statement.

While the House didn’t include funds for the program in its version of the annual defense policy legislation, Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino blamed that on a procedural rule prohibiting appropriations from being included as amendments to an authorization bill.

Garbarino, a Republican, said he will “fight like hell” to get the funding through conference committee and signed into law.

“Although this is only a partial fix for the funding gap, it will provide a further cushion for the program before cuts are necessary and allow us time to secure the full funding needed,” Garbarino said in a statement to POLITICO.

IN OTHER NEWS:

— NYC Health + Hospitals is expanding its Hepatitis C navigator program to three new sites: Lincoln, Metropolitan and Woodhull hospitals. The navigator program, which was previously available at six locations, supports patients with the disease and makes sure they finish the 8-to-12-week antiviral regimen.

The expansion will enable the health system to test and treat more people for the viral infection, which disproportionately affects people with a substance use disorder, people who are or were recently incarcerated; and people living with HIV. An estimated 1,500 Health + Hospitals patients have a Hepatitis C infection that has not been cured, the system said in a release.

— Over $22 million from the state’s opioid settlement fund will go to recovery centers across the state and organizations connecting underserved and high-need populations to care, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

Recovery Community and Outreach Centers, which provide nonclinical community settings, will be awarded enough funding to bring their annual operating budget to $535,000 for two years. And 11 providers will receive $200,000 per year for three years to support care connection work with pregnant and postpartum women, aging adults, young people ages 18 to 25, individuals who were recently incarcerated and other high-need populations.

GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at [email protected].

— Federal prosecutors reached a $475,000 settlement with four affiliated New York medical staffing and administration companies accused of submitting fraudulent Medicare claims for services at hospital emergency departments.

Advanced Health Partners and MedExcel USA admitted to falsely billing Medicare by using the national provider identification numbers of physicians formerly employed by two related companies, Medexcel Emergency Physician Services of Yonkers and Tri-State Emergency Physicians. Those two companies provided clinical staff to unnamed hospital emergency departments in the area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

MedExcel CEO Anthony Ruvo signed the settlement on behalf of all four companies.

NOW WE KNOW — New York remains a major hot spot for infections of the rare and potentially deadly fungus Candida auris.

TODAY’S TIP — Just four to five minutes of vigorous physical activity a day may be enough to lower your risk of cancer.

STUDY THIS — Researchers have linked higher levels of an omega-3 fatty acid to fewer age-related hearing issues.

— Via The New York Times: “New York City had a migrant crisis. It hired a Covid expert to help.”

— To detect breast cancer sooner, an MIT professor designs an ultrasound bra, STAT reports.

— Via KFF Health News: “His anesthesia provider billed Medicare late. He got sent to collections for the $3,000 tab.”

— New bipartisan bill aims to increase access to fentanyl test strips amid overdose deaths, NBC News reports.

— A swath of Southern states now ban transition-related care for minors, forcing families of trans youth to travel long distances for care, The Washington Post reports.

— Connecticut will allow free-standing birth centers to operate starting in 2024, WSHU reports.

— The White House is closely watching McConnell amid health scare, Jennifer Haberkorn and Jonathan Lemire report.

— Organ donation system overhaul heads to Biden’s desk, Erin Schumaker reports.

— House Energy and Commerce Republicans forge ahead on drug shortage proposal, Megan R. Wilson reports.

MISSED A ROUNDUP? Get caught up on the New York Health Care Newsletter.