4OL7OO | . Lae oe .,Tls BEST COPY AVAILABLE LZ Ne “ c eerene Erne smemennrtien NE. beadEth oa , wy vad ;f ny ata SE ee Gee Ae High Commissioner, I.T. of the Pacific Islands District Administrator, Marshalls hid Rid P & B .-—~ Noverber 29, 1976 AS a SS I aTIDBFee OPN Utirik -— Ronselan Kedical Arreement A cuestion has arisen concerning the differences between the provisions of Public Law 5-52, passed in the first resular session of the Sth Conrress of Micronesia in 1973, as compared with the provisions of the Arreement between the U.S. Atomic Enersy Cormission (mow ERDA), ond the Trust Territory dated November &, LOT. The Coneress of Micronesia in Public law 5-52 saw Mt to provide medical benefits of a rather broad nature te the people of Ronrelap and Utirdik. The Act further specifies that the medical benefits will be available to the descendants of exposed persons, as Cefined in the Act. Section 10 of the Act also directed the High Commissioner to seek an Dxecutave Arreement with the AEC to cerray the a6 sass stems che ed esr CARCHOCS TTGOVAGCU GF sede fase tiiG ACU, Pere Suv, ee WIlCYeufaLVEeLyY, dete, Aerts cs eet Ul ARTCC reicr cu to above, between AEC and the Trust Territory, limits the medical services only to people on the Poster of the Brookhaven Fedical Survey ‘eam and rakes no provision for the descendants of those people who were exposed to trradiation, To our imewledge the Consress of Ficronesia, after having passed Public Taw 5-D2, has provided no fumding for carrying out its provisions. A further reference to Public Law 5-52 and the AEC - T.f. Arreement, referred to above, provides another problem, to wit; Public Law 5=o2 provides healtn services and medical benefits to all of the neonle of Monrelar and Utivik whereas the Agreement between AEC and the “rust Serritery provides only for those npeonle in the control sroup, referred to above. Therefore, it is necessary for a cetermination to be made ky some medical nerson or staff as to the nature of the referral for redical treatment as to whether the jliness is fron effects of irradiation or from other causes. Our question, very simmly, 4s this, who has responsibility for making this deteimmination? f3so, another problem area is that involvinr dental work. Chould Public Law -52 be interpreted so as to provide complete cental care, inecludins dentiwes, or should it be limited to providing those services ained toward maintaining healthy teeth and gums? Iinally, if the Marshall Islands Mstrict is to be required to pay for the medical assistance nrovided under Public Law 5-52, the Marshall Islands DNstrict WiLL have to enrare in deficit financing, because this prosran is well beyond our fiscal plan and ability to pay for these services. ga 901 bu 2b