What is the difference between the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim -Compensation Fund?
Hansen & Rosasco
November 15, 2016
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (as reauthorized in 2015) created to programs: (1) The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), and (2) The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). These two programs are closely related, but are separately administered and each has its own registration requirements. For example, registration and treatment in the WTCHP does not constitute registration in the VCF and does not meet the strict registration deadlines of VCF.
The two programs differ in the following ways as well:
- WTCHP provides heath care to people who lived, worked or were present in a larger geographical area that includes all of lower Manhattan south or Houston Street and a part of Brooklyn (i.e., Brooklyn Heights), while to be eligible for compensation from the VCF the area is smaller and includes all of lower Manhattan south of Canal Street but does not include any part of Brooklyn.
- The eligibility requirements for the WTCHP are more relaxed than the eligibility requirements for the VCF.
- The WTCHP has no registration deadline, while the VCF has strict registration deadlines.
- The WTCHP provides treatment for PTSD, while the VCF does not provide compensation for PTSD.
- The WTCHP is open until the year 2090, while the VCF closes on December 18, 2020.
- The VCF funding is limited to $7 billion and the funds are awarded first-come, first-serve.