What If I Apply to WTC Health Program and VCF, Then Get Sick Again?

The WTC Health Program and VCF’s procedures take into account that people will likely continue to get sick with new compensable conditions after applying. After all, some health issues take longer than others to emerge, and issues can always be improperly diagnosed or worsen over time.

Once a patient is accepted into the WTC Health Program, they are given a yearly monitoring exam to ensure that they receive care for any newly emerging covered conditions and, when it comes to the VCF, there is no limit to the number of amendments that can be filed on a claim.

With that said, though the fund can increase the total award amount as new conditions are added to a claim, past payouts are deducted from the amended amount because the fund cannot violate it’s statutory caps even on amended claims. That means that non-cancer victims can only receive a total of $90,000 overall and cancer victims max out at $250,000.

There is one notable exception to the unlimited amendments rule: The VCF does not accept amendments on deceased claims. In the case of deceased claims, the victim’s illness or injury cannot evolve. Therefore the extent of the eligible losses are known to the claimant before they file. (The program instituted this policy because of the burden involved in reviewing amended deceased claims, which would slow down the awards process for everybody.)

If you have questions or concerns about how these programs work, we’re here to help! Contact us at info@stuyhealth.org.