Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is applying for federal health coverage for people exposed to toxic materials after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as he battles pneumonia and mounting medical bills.
Giuliani is seeking enrollment in the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides no-cost medical treatment, mental health care, and research services for emergency workers, survivors, and others directly affected by the attacks.
Recommended Stories
More than 152,000 people have enrolled in the program since former President Barack Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act into law in 2010. “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, a longtime advocate for 9/11 first responders, lobbied Congress to pass the legislation.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) announced this year that lawmakers had secured full lifetime funding for the health program.
Giuliani, who served as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, became the public face of the city’s response to the attacks and visited the World Trade Center site multiple times on Sept. 11.
The 81-year-old was recently admitted to a Florida hospital in critical condition after developing pneumonia on Sunday. According to his spokesman, Giuliani’s condition was worsened by a chronic respiratory illness tied to his exposure to toxic dust and chemicals in the attack’s aftermath.
“On September 11th, Mayor Giuliani ran toward the towers to help those in need, which later led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease,” spokesman Ted Goodman said in a statement. “This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition.”
RUDY GIULIANI IN ‘CRITICAL BUT STABLE’ CONDITION IN FLORIDA HOSPITAL: SPOKESMAN
In the months after the attacks, Giuliani regularly appeared at Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers used to stand, overseeing recovery and cleanup efforts — often without a mask despite widespread concerns about hazardous air quality.
In recent years, Giuliani has faced escalating financial troubles. Last year, he was ordered to pay $1.3 million in legal fees to attorneys who represented him in criminal investigations. He also attempted to declare bankruptcy, but a judge dismissed the case in 2024, finding that Giuliani failed to provide the financial transparency required by the court.
