What is the World Trade Center Health Program?

Created by the Zadroga Act in 2011, the World Trade Center Health Program provides comprehensive medical monitoring and treatment to 9/11 responders and survivors for covered 9/11-related injuries and illnesses.

The list of covered conditions includes many types of cancer, respiratory illness, acute traumatic injuries, digestive disorders, mental health conditions, and (only for World Trade Center responders) musculoskeletal disorders.

The most common cancers include skin cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, lung cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer.

Among the other covered illnesses are asthma, GERD, chronic rhinosinusitis, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, sleep apnea, and chronic respiratory disorder.

The health program offers enormous benefits, with members experiencing cancer mortality rates that are 34 percent lower than demographically-similar New York State residents with cancer, according to the FDNY’s World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center – with even better results for prostate cancer and colon cancer.

9/11 responders from Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania are generally eligible to enroll in the World Trade Center Health Program.

9/11 survivors – people who worked, lived, or studied in the area below Houston Street in Manhattan or in parts of nearby Brooklyn on or after 9/11 – are eligible to enroll in the health program with the diagnosis of a 9/11-related health condition.

Members enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program have access to treatment nationwide for 9/11-related health conditions. For list of medical centers where you could access treatment, visit https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/clinics.html.

Certifying a 9/11-related cancer or respiratory illness with the health program could also allow you to file a claim for compensation with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which provides tax-free awards for pain and suffering, lost earnings, and benefits for surviving spouses and family members. 

Barasch & McGarry represents nearly 40,000 members of the 9/11 community who have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program or registered with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Barasch & McGarry can help you enroll in the health program and register with the compensation fund. Please contact us by visiting 911victims.com or calling 212-385-8000.

If you prefer to register or enroll directly, visit vcf.gov or cdc.gov/wtc.