OH sens. seek public health emergency declaration in East Palestine to prompt Medicare coverage

East Palestine Medicare coverage overview:

• Who: U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance of Ohio sent a letter to the EPA, urging the agency to declare a public health emergency in areas affected by the East Palestine train derailment.
• Why: The senators want residents of the affected communities to have Medicare coverage to help with any future medical expenses that may arise due to toxic exposure.
• Where: The public health emergency would apply to East Palestine and other areas affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment.

Ohio’s U.S. senators have asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to declare a public health emergency in areas affected by the East Palestine train derailment to prompt Medicare coverage for those affected by the February event.

Sens. Sherrod Brown (D) and J.D. Vance (R) sent a letter to EPA head Michael Regan on Tuesday, arguing that the terms of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act authorized him to declare a public health emergency that would allow additional resources to become available to the areas affected by the toxic Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.

“If applicable, such a determination could provide residents of East Palestine with much-needed, additional resources, including Medicare coverage, as they cope with the lingering impacts of this preventable, man-made crisis by Norfolk Southern,” the letter states.

Twenty of the affected Norfolk Southern rail cars reportedly contained hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

Due to the risk of a potential explosion in the wake of the East Palestine train derailment, five tank cars containing vinyl chloride were vented and burned, a process that released additional chemicals into the East Palestine environment.

East Palestine Medicare coverage would help affected residents with future medical costs related to toxic exposure, senators say

The senators note that the long term East Palestine health effects related to the exposure is currently unknown. However, they urge the EPA to declare a public health emergency based on hazardous environmental exposures so that residents of East Palestine and surrounding communities would have access to Medicare coverage.

Federal, state, and local agencies are currently monitoring the safety of the air and water in the area, but the senators are concerned that exposure to the toxic chemicals could cause health problems in the future.

“No affected resident of East Palestine or its surrounding communities should have to worry about affording necessary health care, now or in the future,” the letter states. “It is incumbent on us to explore using every tool available to the federal government in service of that goal,” the senators said.

Earlier this year, Norfolk Southern announced it would create a fund to reimburse homeowners who were affected by the East Palestine train derailment.

Do you think the EPA should allow affected communities to have East Palestine Medicare coverage due to potential health effects from the toxic train derailment? Join the discussion in the comments!

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