I Now Live Outside of the United States. How Can I Get My Health Condition Certified?

Unfortunately the WTC Health Program does not operate outside of the United States, so foreign residents are not able to get their 9/11-linked conditions certified with the program unless they travel to the US for an initial screening. The VCF recognizes that that possibility is not available to everybody.

Though getting certified through the WTCHP is the simplest way to go for those who can manage it, the VCF allows foreign residents to have their conditions verified by their own doctors by having them fill out the Private Physicians forms on the VCF website. The program will then work with the WTC Health Program to verify that the patient’s conditions are eligible and issue any necessary certifications.

There are a few other situations in which patients can use the Private Physician forms as well. Those include:

• If, in extenuating circumstances, a claimant is unable to get certified by a WTCHP provider or believes they will suffer significant hardship in doing so. For example, if a claimant is too sick to travel to a WTCHP facility, the VCF may allow a claimant to be certified by the Private Physician form. Generally, the VCF will require that claimant’s doctor write a report confirming that the claimant is too ill to travel and/or that he/she is terminal. In that case the claimant should upload a statement or letter explaining the circumstances and why they should be considered for the Private Physician process. They are also encouraged to call the VCF.
• Filing a claim for a deceased individual who was not certified for treatment by the WTC Health Program for the claimed condition
• If a patient or deceased individual had been deemed eligible for compensation from the VCF based on a certified condition and is now seeking to add a non-certified cancer as a claimed condition
• If a claimant was present at the Pentagon but not as a responder and therefore does not quality for certification by the WTC Health Program