Hansen & Rosasco, LLP

As of August 2021, the best estimate of time it takes for a new amended Victim Compensation Fund award decision is generally 12 -18 months. However, it can be shorter or longer depending on individual case circumstances. When your doctor or the WTC Health Program discovers a new 9/11-related medical condition, you must first get the new condition “certified” by the World Trade Center Health Program. That can take between one to two months at a minimum. Then Hansen & Rosasco can help move the process along to obtain additional compensation from the VCF. This starts the 12-18 month clock.

The short answer to the question is that once your attorney receives funds from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), the Special Master expects your 9/11 lawyer to send your award compensation money to you within 30 days.

For most individuals who got sick with a 9/11 cancer or other condition because of exposure to the toxins released by the September 11th terrorist attack sites, obtaining medical treatment and monitoring through the WTC Health Program for their eligible condition is directly related to  seeking compensation through the other federally funded 9/11 benefit program, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many of the victims did not immediately realize the full extent of the damages they would ultimately face, often many years later.

To receive compensation through the VCF, victims of the 9/11 attacks, including responders, volunteers, and workers who may have suffered severe diagnoses due to exposure to the dust cloud after 9/11, typically must seek diagnosis and certification through the WTC Health Program before they can qualify for assistance through the VCF.

If you faced a serious diagnosis due to your involvement at Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, or if you ended up with a serious diagnosis because you lived, worked, or went to school in Lower Manhattan in the months following September 2001, you may need to file for compensation through the VCF.

If you are seeking compensation for the expenses and impacts you incurred because of exposure to the toxic substances present at the terrorist attack sites on 9/11 from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), can you get reimbursed for medical expenses you paid out-of-pocket that neither the WTC Health Program nor your insurance covered?

Many individuals who obtain compensation from the VCF, or health benefits from the WTC Health Program for medical conditions caused by exposure to the toxins present at the 9/11 terrorist attack sites, including Downton Manhattan and, at the Pentagon, also receive benefits from other disability programs such as Social Security Disability, workers’ compensation, short- or long-term disability insurance, or a disability pension. 9/11 claimants often don’t know how these programs work together or even whether you can receive benefits from more than one program.

Two federal programs assist individuals who were exposed to toxic dust from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA. One of these programs—the WTC Health Program—provides health care and monitoring for a list of certifiable 9/11-associated diseases, including many types of cancers and respiratory ailments. The second program, the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), provides compensation for individuals with 9/11-related illnesses that have been certified through the WTC Health Program.

Years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan, at the Pentagon, and the wreckage site in Shanksville, PA, researchers noticed a sharp increase in the number of head and neck cancers diagnosed in individuals who lived, worked, or attended school near those locations on 9/11 or during the many months afterward. This increase was most prevalent in rescue workers who were over 55, non-Hispanic white, and serving in a military or protective service position during the rescue and recovery efforts — but has also been found in many non-responders including downtown NYC workers and residents. One of the types of head and neck cancers in which there is a noticeable increase in cases among 9/11 first responders is malignant neoplasms of the trachea.