World Trade Center Attorneys

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program is a different program than the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund; it is an additional program. The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program provides medical monitoring and treatment for responders at the WTC and related sites in New York City, Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA, and survivors who were in the New York City disaster area. Due to the complexities of the different programs clients often find it is easier to complete our intake form to determine if there are additional options available to them.  

How to qualify for the WTC Health Program

To Qualify for the WTC Health Program you must meet the following criteria:  

Fire Department of New York

Eligibility for firefighters in the WTC Health Program Include:
  • A member of the Fire Department of New York City (fire or emergency personnel, active or retired) who participated at least one day in the rescue and recovery effort at any of the former World Trade Center sites (including Ground Zero, Staten Island Landfill, and the New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s Office), or;
  • A surviving immediate family member of a member of the Fire Department of New York City (whether fire or emergency personnel, active or retired) who was killed at the World Trade site on September 11, 2001, if the family member received any treatment for a WTC-related mental health condition on or before September 1, 2008.
 

NYC Responder

other requirements for first reponders and cleanup workers in the WTC Health Program include:
  • An individual, including current and former Federal employees, who worked or volunteered onsite in rescue, recovery, demolition, debris cleanup or related support services in lower Manhattan (south of Canal St), the Staten Island Landfill, or the barge loading piers;
  • A member of the Police Department of New York City (active or retired) or a member of the Port Authority Police of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (active or retired) who participated onsite in rescue, recovery, debris cleanup, or related services in lower Manhattan (south of Canal St), including Ground Zero, the Staten Island Landfill, or the barge loading piers;
  • An employee of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City involved in the examination and handling of human remains from the World Trade Center attacks or other morgue workers who performed similar post-September 11 functions for such Office staff;
  • A worker in the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation Tunnel;
  • A vehicle-maintenance worker who was exposed to debris from the former World Trade Center while retrieving, driving, cleaning, repairing, and maintaining vehicles contaminated by airborne toxins from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
  The WTC Health Program provides treatment for a specific list of physical and mental health conditions that have been determined to be caused by exposure to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The program also covers medically associated health conditions, which are caused by the progression or treatment of a covered condition. Below is the list of covered conditions in the WTC Health Program. The list may change as we continue to learn about 9/11 exposure and its effects on healt  

Acute Traumatic Injury

  • Burn
  • Complex sprain
  • Eye injury
  • Fracture
  • Head trauma
  • Other similar acute traumatic injuries
  • Tendon tear
 

Aerodigestive Disorders

  • Asthma
  • Chronic cough syndrome
  • Chronic laryngitis
  • Chronic nasopharyngitis
  • Chronic respiratory disorder due to fumes/vapors
  • Chronic rhinosinusitis
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD)
  • Interstitial lung diseases
  • Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS)
  • Sleep apnea exacerbated by or related to another condition in the list of aerodigestive disorders
  • Upper airway hyperreactivity
  • WTC-exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
 

Cancers

  • Childhood Cancers
  • Blood and Lymphoid Tissue
  • Digestive System
  • Eye and Orbit
  • Female Breast
  • Female Reproductive Organs
  • Head and Neck
  • Respiratory System
  • Skin (Melanoma and non-Melanoma)Soft Tissue
  • Thyroid
  • Urinary System
  • Mesothelioma
  • Rare Cancers
Below are the cancers covered by the WTC Health Program and included on the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions. The covered cancers are organized into the following categories: Note: The information on this page reflects the language found in the Federal laws and regulations that govern the WTC Health Program. It has been formatted for viewing on the Web and organized alphabetically for ease of use. If you are interested in seeing the laws and regulations in their original format, this and other information on the WTC Health Program can be found on the WTC Health Program's LawsRegulations, and Required Supporting Documentation pages.

Childhood Cancers

Any type of cancer diagnosed in a person less than 20 years of age.

Malignant Neoplasms

Blood and Lymphoid Tissue (including, but not limited to, lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma)

Diffuse non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Burkitt's tumor
  • Diffuse non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified
  • lmmunoblastic (diffuse)
  • Large cell (diffuse)
  • Lymphoblastic (diffuse)
  • Mixed small and large cell (diffuse)
  • Other types of diffuse non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Small cell (diffuse)
  • Small cleaved cell (diffuse)
  • Undifferentiated (diffuse)
Follicular (nodular) non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified
  • Large cell, follicular
  • Mixed small cleaved and large cell, follicular
  • Other types of follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Small cleaved cell, follicular
Hodgkin's disease
  • Hodgkin's disease, unspecified
  • Lymphocytic depletion
  • Lymphocytic predominance
  • Mixed cellularity
  • Nodular sclerosis
  • Other Hodgkin's disease
Leukemia of unspecified cell type
  • Acute leukemia of unspecified cell type
  • Chronic leukemia of unspecified cell type
  • Leukemia, unspecified
  • Other leukemia of unspecified cell type
  • Subacute leukemia of unspecified cell type
Lymphoid leukemia
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
  • Adult T-cell leukemia
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
  • Hairy-cell leukemia
  • Lymphoid leukemia, unspecified
  • Other lymphoid leukemia
  • Prolymphocytic leukemia
  • Subacute lymphocytic leukemia
Malignant immunoproliferative diseases
  • Alpha heavy chain disease
  • Gamma heavy chain disease
  • lmmunoproliferative small intestinal disease
  • Malignant immunoproliferative disease, unspecified
  • Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases
  • Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia
Monocytic leukemia
  • Acute monocytic leukemia
  • Chronic monocytic leukemia
  • Monocytic leukemia, unspecified
  • Other monocytic leukemia
  • Subacute monocytic leukemia
Multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Plasma cell leukemia
  • Plasmacytoma, extramedullary
Myeloid leukemia
  • Acute myeloid leukemia
  • Acute myelomonocytic leukemia
  • Acute promyelocytic leukemia
  • Chronic myeloid leukemia
  • Myeloid leukemia, other
  • Myeloid leukemia, unspecified
  • Myeloid sarcoma
  • Subacute myeloid leukemia
Other and unspecified lymphoid, hematopoietic, and related tissue
  • Letterer-Siwe disease
  • Lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue, other specified
  • Lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue, unspecified
  • Malignant histiocytosis
  • Malignant mast cell tumor
  • True histiocytic lymphoma
Other and unspecified types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • B-cell lymphoma, unspecified
  • Lymphosarcoma
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, other unspecified
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified type
Other leukemias of specified cell type
  • Acute erythremia and erythroleukemia
  • Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia
  • Acute myelofibrosis
  • Acute pan myelosis
  • Chronic erythremia
  • Leukemias, others specified
  • Mast cell leukemia
Peripheral and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
  • Lymphoepithelioid lymphoma
  • Mycosis fungoides
  • Peripheral T-cell lymphomas
  • Sezary's disease
  • T-cell lymphomas, other and unspecified
  • T-zone lymphoma

Digestive System

Colon
Appendix
Ascending colon
Caecum
Colon, unspecified
Descending colon
Hepatic flexure
Overlapping lesion of colon
Sigmoid colon
Splenic flexure
Transverse colon
Esophagus
Abdominal part Cervical part
Esophagus, unspecified
Lower third
Middle third
Overlapping lesion
Thoracic part
Upper third
Liver and intrahepatic bile ducts
Angiosarcoma of liver
Hepatoblastoma
Intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma
Liver, unspecified
Liver cell carcinoma
Other sarcomas of liver
Other specified carcinomas of liver
Other and ill-defined digestive organs
Ill-defined sites within the digestive system
Intestinal tract, part unspecified
Overlapping lesion of digestive system
Rectosignoid junction
Rectum
Retroperitoneum and peritoneum
Overlapping lesion
Peritoneum, unspecified
Retroperitoneum
Specified parts of peritoneum
Stomach
Body Cardia
Fundus
Greater curvature, unspecified
Lesser curvature, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Pyloric antrum
Pylorus
Stomach, unspecified

Eye and Orbit

Eye and Adnexa
Choroid
Ciliary body
Conjunctiva
Cornea
Eye, unspecified
Lacrimal gland and duct
Orbit
Overlapping lesion
Retina

Female Breast

Breast
Auxiliary tail Breast, unspecified
Central portion
Lower-inner quadrant
Lower-outer quadrant
Nipple and areola
Overlapping lesion
Upper-inner quadrant
Upper-outer quadrant

Female Reproductive Organs

Ovary

Head and Neck

Accessory sinuses
Accessory, unspecified
Ethmoidal
Frontal
Maxillary
Overlapping lesion
Sphenoidal
Base of tongue
Floor of mouth
Anterior Floor, unspecified
Lateral
Overlapping lesion
Gum
Gum, unspecified
Lower
Upper
Hypopharynx
Aryepiglottic fold, hypopharyngeal aspect
Hypopharynx, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Postcricoid region
Posterior wall
Larynx
Glottis
Laryngeal cartilage
Larynx, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Subglottis
Supraglottis
Lip
Commissure
External lip, unspecified
External lower lip
External upper lip
Lip, unspecified
Lip, unspecified, inner aspect
Lower lip, inner aspect
Overlapping lesion
Upper lip, inner aspect
Nasal cavity
Nasopharynx
Anterior wall
Lateral wall
Nasopharynx, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Posterior wall
Superior wall
Other and ill-defined conditions in the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx
Overlapping lesion of lip, oral cavity, and pharynx
Pharynx, unspecified
Waldeyer's ring
Other and unspecified major salivary glands
Major salivary gland, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Sublingual gland
Submandibular gland
Other and unspecified part of the mouth
Cheek mucosa
Mouth, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Retromolar area
Vestibule
Other and unspecified parts of the tongue
Anterior two-thirds, part unspecified
Border
Dorsal surface
Lingual tonsil
Overlapping lesion
Tongue, unspecified
Ventral surface
Oropharynx
Anterior surface of epiglottis
Branchial cleft
Lateral wall
Oropharynx, unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Posterior wall
Vallecula
Palate
Hard palate Overlapping lesion
Palate, unspecified
Soft palate
Uvula
Parotid gland
Piriform sinus
Tonsil
Overlapping lesion
Tonsil, unspecified
Tonsillar fossa
Tonsillar pillar (anterior/posterior)

Respiratory System

Bronchus and lung
Bronchus or lung, unspecified
Lower lobe, bronchus or lung
Main bronchus
Middle lobe, bronchus or lung
Overlapping lesion
Upper lobe, bronchus or lung
Heart, mediastinum, and pleura
Anterior mediastinum
Heart
Mediastinum, part unspecified
Overlapping lesion
Pleura
Posterior mediastinum
Other and ill-defined sites in the respiratory system and intrathoracic organs
Ill-defined sites within the respiratory system
Overlapping lesion
Upper respiratory tract, part unspecified
Trachea

Skin (Melanoma and non-Melanoma)

Malignant melanoma of skin
Ear and external auricular canal
Eyelid, including canthus
Lip
Lower limb, including hip
Other and unspecified parts of face
Overlapping malignant melanoma of skin
Scalp and neck
Skin, unspecified
Trunk
Upper limb, including shoulder
Other malignant neoplasms of skin
Ear and external auricular canal
Eyelid, including canthus
Lip
Lower limb, including hip
Other and unspecified parts of face
Overlapping lesion
Scalp and neck
Skin, unspecified
Trunk
Upper limb, including shoulder
Scrotum

Soft Tissue

Other connective and soft tissue
Abdomen
Head, face, and neck
Lower limb, including hip
Overlapping lesion
Pelvis
Thorax
Trunk, unspecified
Unspecified
Upper limb, including shoulder
Peripheral nerves and autonomic nervous system
Abdomen
Head, face, and neck
Lower limb, including hip
Overlapping lesion
Pelvis
Thorax
Trunk, unspecified
Unspecified
Upper limb, including shoulder

Thyroid

Thyroid gland

Urinary System

Bladder
Anterior wall Bladder neck
Bladder, unspecified
Dome
Lateral wall
Overlapping lesion
Posterior wall
Trigone
Urachus
Ureteric orifice
Kidney
Other and unspecified urinary organs
Overlapping lesion
Paraurethral gland
Urethra
Urinary organ, unspecified
Prostate
Renal pelvis
Ureter

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma
Other sites
Pericardium
Peritoneum
Pleura
Unspecified

Rare Cancers

Any type of cancer that occurs in less than 15 cases per 100,000 persons per year (called the "incidence rate") based on data from 2005-2009 as referenced in Copeland et al., Cancer in North America: 2005-2009 average annual data, are considered rare cancers. These cancers are eligible for certification by the WTC Health Program. Below are cancer types that have been determined to meet the threshold incidence rate for rare cancers. However, this compilation is not exhaustive. Other types of cancer which meet the definition of a rare cancer for the WTC Health Program, but which are not on the List or identified below, may also be considered for certification. Every cancer submitted for certification which is not individually identified in the above list is reviewed by the WTC Health Program to assess if it meets the definition of a rare cancer. Therefore, for the purposes of the WTC Health Program, the Administrator has determined that the category “Rare Cancers” includes, but is not limited to, the following types of cancer:
  • Malignant neoplasms of the—
    • adrenal gland and other endocrine glands and related structures
    • anus and anal canal
    • bone and articular cartilage
    • breast among men
    • gallbladder and other parts of biliary tract
    • meninges, brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, and other parts of central nervous system
    • pancreas
    • penis and testis
    • placenta
    • small intestine
    • thymus
    • vulva, vagina, and cervix uteri (invasive only)
  • Malignant neuroendocrine neoplasm, including carcinoid tumors
  • Myeloid neoplasms, including myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms, myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms, and myeloid malignancies associated with eosinophilia and abnormalities of growth factor receptors derived from platelets or fibroblasts
The WTC Health Program has developed a Policy and Procedure document for Rare Cancers that defines the list above. If you would like more information on Rare Cancers, please refer to the Policy and Procedure document.  

Mental Health Conditions

  • Acute stress disorder
  • Adjustment disorder
  • Anxiety disorder (not otherwise specified)
  • Depression (not otherwise specified)
  • Dysthymic disorder
  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Substance abuse
 

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Note: Only WTC Responders are eligible to be certified in the WTC Health Program for musculoskelatal disorders. The disorder must be related to your 9/11 work and you must have proof that you received medical care for the injury before September 11, 2003.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
  • Low back pain
  • Other musculoskeletal disorders
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