{"id":2353095,"date":"2024-10-10T09:42:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T13:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ptsd-workers-comp-for-first-responders-nearly-finalized-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-10T09:46:27","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T13:46:27","slug":"ptsd-workers-comp-for-first-responders-nearly-finalized-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ptsd-workers-comp-for-first-responders-nearly-finalized-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"PTSD workers comp for first responders nearly finalized &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fptsd-workers-comp-for-first-responders-nearly-finalized-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2353095&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In Pennsylvania, legislation to provide workers&#8217; compensation \u2062for first\u200d responders suffering from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-gary-sinise-launches-new-initiative-with-home-depot-founders\/\" title=\"WATCH: Gary Sinise Launches New Initiative With Home Depot Founders\">post-traumatic stress disorder<\/a> (PTSD) has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbp-reports-significant-decrease-in-illegal-migrant-encounters-amid-stricter-asylum-rules\/\" title=\"CBP sees major drop in illegal migrant encounters due to stricter asylum rules.\">made significant \u200cprogress<\/a>, with the state Senate recently approving \u200cthe proposal. This initiative aims to extend mental health support\u200b to responders\u200c experiencing PTSD, a condition already recognized in 25 other\u200d states. Rep. Jenn O&#8217;Mara, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wash-gov-inslee-signs-bill-banning-sports-teams-use-of-native-american-mascots\/\" title=\"Wash. Gov. Inslee signs bill banning sports teams\u2019 use of Native American mascots\">prime sponsor<\/a> of the bill, \u200dshared her\u200c personal connection to the \u2064issue, noting that her father, a firefighter, tragically died by suicide in \u20632003. She emphasized the importance\u200c of making mental health care more accessible to \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/travis-scott-says-he-was-unaware-of-deaths-until-after-show\/\" title=\"Travis Scott Says He Was Unaware of Deaths Until After Show\">prevent similar tragedies<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Sen. Camera Bartolotta echoed these sentiments, recalling her own experience with trauma \u2063related to\u2062 her husband&#8217;s\u2064 death and the emotional impact on families affected by such incidents. \u200bThe newly passed House Bill 1632 also clarifies that PTSD claims \u2062do not need to be linked to &#8220;abnormal working conditions,&#8221; thereby broadening \u2064the \u200dscope of coverage for those in high-stress emergency roles.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">PTSD workers comp for first responders nearly finalized<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1792144\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; First responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder moved one step closer to qualifying for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-ron-desantis-special-session-aims-to-construct-safety-net-for-fired-unvaccinated-workers\/\" title=\"Exclusive - Ron DeSantis&#039; Special Session Aims to Construct Safety Net for Fired Unvaccinated Workers\">workers compensation<\/a> in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The state Senate approved a proposal on Wednesday to expand the program to cover those living with the condition. Twenty-five other states have already done so, according to prime sponsor Rep. Jenn O&rsquo;Mara, D-Springfield.<\/p>\n<p>O&rsquo;Mara said her father, a Philadelphia firefighter whom she called her hero, died by suicide in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;First responders are heroes, but they&rsquo;re not superheroes,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_6ce12b1e-0e19-11ef-9d7f-7b7f33dc52f0.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>she said in May<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;when the lower chamber approved the bill. &ldquo;We need to make mental health care more accessible to prevent tragedies like the one my family went through.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Sen. Camera Bartolotta, D-Washington, recalled O&rsquo;Mara&rsquo;s story and her own experience speaking with a 911 dispatcher who helped her tend to her dying husband.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are too many stories like that,&rdquo; Bartolotta said. &ldquo;It traumatizes and affects a family for a lifetime.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I understand, I appreciate and I honor those 911 operators with all my heart,&rdquo; she later added.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.state.pa.us\/cfdocs\/billInfo\/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2023&amp;sInd=0&amp;body=H&amp;type=B&amp;bn=1632\">House Bill 1632<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;also clarifies the injury doesn&rsquo;t have to result from &ldquo;abnormal working conditions.&rdquo; State police officers, firefighters, paramedics and officers of the peace may qualify if diagnosed within three years of an initial claim. Roughly 100,000 first responders live in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/www.samhsa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/dtac\/supplementalresearchbulletin-firstresponders-may2018.pdf\">Analysis from the<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published in 2018 estimated that 30% of first responders develop mental health conditions, as compared to 20% among the general population.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8794069\/\">Further research<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;from the National Institutes of Health released in 2022 estimates up to 10% of emergency workers develop PTSD, specifically.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania&rsquo;s emergency response network&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_b6887d2a-abd8-11ed-ace0-c7d7566fea13.html'\">faces an unprecedented staffing crisis<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;as workers sacrifice mental and physical health to serve others &ndash; particularly in the state&rsquo;s rural communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The bill returns to the House for concurrence, the last formal step before heading to the governor&rsquo;s desk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1792144\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1792144\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PTSD workers comp for first responders in PA nearly finalized<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2353096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24037853686201-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[37698,14124,42712],"class_list":["post-2353095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-first-responders","tag-ptsd","tag-workers-compensation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24037853686201-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2353095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2353095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2353095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2353096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2353095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2353095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2353095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}