Amendments to List of WTC-Related Conditions Include More Types of Cancer

Recent revisions to the list of World Trade Center Related Conditions resulted in newly eligible certifications for four types of cancer:

• Brain
• Cervical
• Pancreatic
• Testicular 

The Federal Register issued a report about the Health and Human Services Department’s final rule in February, 2014. Previously, individuals with these types of cancers were denied World Trade Center Health coverage.

The list included a category called “rare cancers.” However, there was ambiguity about the meaning of the term “rare cancers” and the threshold for a rare cancer. As a result, the Federal Register made an important amendment to the definition that included invasive cervical cancer and testicular cancer because they were rare and belonged under this revised category.

Estimated costs for treating these four cancers range between $2,387,933 and $4,933,280 annually for 2014 through 2016.

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program also made a significant revision to clarify childhood cancers due to considerable confusion over the vagueness of the term. The intent was to certify cancers occurring in anyone under the age of 20 when they first were diagnosed with any type of cancer. The individual’s age at the date of diagnosis is the crucial date, not the individual’s age when entering the WTC Health Program.

In addition, the WTC Health Program provided guidelines to eliminate confusion over codes that created administrative problems and resulted in unnecessary denials of certification to eligible individuals with cancer.

If you were denied healthcare based on any of these issues or the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) denied your claim, consult with an experienced New York City VCF attorney from Barasch & McGarry for legal help.