Greetings! Throughout the month of September, we covered several topics relating to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”). After the 9/11 terrorist attacks many responders and survivors – the lower Manhattan workers, residents, and students – suffered debilitating respiratory illness or cancer due to their presence in the Exposure Zone. These individuals may qualify for a lifetime medical care and a cash payout from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Our final topic for this month is an examining the difference between the September 11th VCF and World Trade Center health program.
In order to qualify for the program one of the requirements is to prove that you either volunteered, worked, went to school, or resided in that area during the period of September 11, 2001 – May 30, 2002. Proving you were in New York and the Exposure Zone can be tricky it often requires finding eyewitnesses and documentation. This process can involve numerous steps including submitting a claim with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). To receive medical benefits and compensation, you must file two different applications: one application with the WTC Health Program, and a second completely different application (and a different set of federal rules and regulations) with 911 Victim Compensation Fund.
Medical benefits and financial awards depend on numerous factors. Here are some of the differences between the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and WTC Health Program:
- WTC Health Program
- The World Trade Center Health Program is a federal program administered through the CDC. It provides medical monitoring and treatment for eligible responders, survivors, office workers, residents, and students, including:
- Con Edison
- FDNY
- NYPD
- Rescue, recovery, clean-up or related support service workers and volunteers
- Port Authority Police Department (PAPD)
- Union workers
- Employees of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of NYC
- Morgue workers
- MTA New York City Transit Authority workers
- In addition to providing medical monitoring and treatment to those who were in the NYC Exposure Zone, the WTC Health Program is also available to those who were present at The Pentagon, Virginia, Shanksville, Pennsylvania and the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, New York.
- Being enrolled in the World Trade Center health program and receiving treatment through their network does not mean that you have registered or submitted a claim for financial compensation to the VCF. Those are two separate processes.
- The World Trade Center Health Program is a federal program administered through the CDC. It provides medical monitoring and treatment for eligible responders, survivors, office workers, residents, and students, including:
- September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
- The 9/11 VCF is administered through the United States Department of Justice, the 9/11 VCF is separate from the WTC Health Program and does not provide financial compensation for individuals, and the families of deceased individuals, who have suffered illness, cancer, injury or death as a result of the 9/11 terror attacks.
- The VCF provides compensation for economic (lost earnings) and non-economic (pain and suffering) damages incurred by responders, survivors, volunteers, and those who lived or worked in the area.
While the two programs are separate, in order to submit a VCF claim for financial compensation, you must first have your eligible conditions certified by the WTC Health Program. The VCF cannot review your claim until you have received a WTC Health Program certification letter. If you have been diagnosed with a 9/11-related medical condition, or cancer as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, you may be entitled to receive medical care from the WTC Health Program and financial compensation from the VCF. The Law Offices of Marjory Cajoux can help you access a full range of healthcare benefits and financial compensation. Give us a call today.
