VCF Adds Rare Cancers as Covered Condition

*** UPDATE: Since the date of this blog post, the deadline for filing a claim with the Victim Compensation Fund has been extended until December 18, 2020. ***

As medical study has continued, following the reopening of the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) in 2011, several new diseases have been added to the list of covered conditions. These additions open up the Fund to more of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. In October of 2013, prostate cancer was added as a potentially covered condition. Most recently, in February of 2014, the WTC Health Program and the VCF have expanded their list to include a number of rare cancers that studies now link to WTC debris exposure.

The decision to add rare cancers to the list of covered conditions has again created the opportunity for certain individuals to register despite the much-publicized passage of the October 3, 2013 deadline. At present, individuals who meet the physical presence requirement for VCF compensation and have been diagnosed with what the WTC Health Program defines as a rare cancer have until February 18, 2016 to register with the VCF and until October 3, 2016 to file their completed eligibility and compensation packets. Following are some of the recent additions to the list of covered conditions:

• Testicular cancer
• Male breast cancer
• Gallbladder or biliary tract cancer
• Small intestine cancer
• Thymus cancer
• Penis cancer
• Central nervous system cancer
• Adrenal glands cancer
• Gastrointestinal stromal malignancies
• Neuroendocrine malignancies

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and only includes the more common of the rare cancers. The WTC Health Program defines rare cancer as any type that affects fewer than 15 people per 100,000 in the U.S. each year. If you have been diagnosed with one of these cancers, our experienced Victim Compensation Fund attorney Barasch & McGarry can help you initiate a claim for benefits or add this condition to an existing claim.