9/11 Health Watch Releases VCF Deadline Countdown Clock

Injured Responders and Survivors May Have Only 150 Days Before Deadline.

Today, 150 days before the first major deadline under the revisedSeptember 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), 911 Health Watch released its VCF Deadline Countdown Clock to remind those injured by 9/11 that they may have only 150 days to register with the VCF. The web-based clock, which is being made available to organizations and websites that would reach those injured by 9/11, is counting down until 5 PM EST on October 3, 2013 – the first major deadline for most Responders and Survivors to register a claim with the Fund.

With the passage of the “James Zadroga, 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010,” the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has been reopened to allow 9/11 Responders and Survivors who became ill, or the loved ones of those who have passed due to 9/11 injuries, to apply for compensation for economic and non-economic (pain and suffering) losses stemming from their physical injuries.

The Fund has been reopened for a relatively short time period and there are complicated deadlines by which injured Responders and Survivors MUST register. For most injured 9/11 Responders and Survivors, October 3rd, 2013, at 5 PM, 150 days from today, is the deadline when you must complete and submit a registration to meet the VCF’s filing requirements. Even if you are already enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program, receiving medical monitoring and/or treatment for your 9/11 injury, you still need to register with the VCF.

For Responders and Survivors who have only a WTC cancer, the deadline is over a year later than this October 3rd for filing a claim for injury due to cancer, but 911 Health Watch is advising potential registrants to learn about their rights under the law now, to make sure you understand the deadlines and do not miss a required filing.

These deadlines were created as part of the law and cannot be changed. 911 Health Watch is starting a publicity drive to make sure Responders and Survivors who have been injured by 9/11 know that they can go to the VCF for compensation, but that they may have only a few months to see if they qualify under the law and if they do, to register.

Suzy Ballantyne, Board Member of 911 Health Watch stated” One of our missions at 911 Health Watch is to make sure that Responders and Survivors are fully informed about the programs created by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. It is critical that they know that they may have this deadline coming up and that if they have been injured by 9/11 they need to act and register before the deadline passes. That is why we created this clock and urge websites that injured Responders and

Survivors might visit to post it and help get the word out.”

The “VCF Deadline Countdown Clock” app can be placed on websites where 9/11 Responders or Survivors may visit to remind those who have been injured that they have a limited time to register with the reopened VCF. This outreach is particularly important for Responders and Survivors who are living outside of the New York Metropolitan Region and may not have access to information about the VCF and its deadlines.

RESOURCES:
Here is the code that you need to place this clock on your website.
Here is the VCF’s frequently asked question (FAQ) on “What are the deadlines for filing a claim with the Fund and what forms must be filed by the deadlines? (Updated: April 9, 2013).If you have questions, please feel free to go to contact us at 911 Health Watch.

Ben Chevat
Executive Director
9/11 Health Watch
646-634-9103
ben.chevat@911healthwatch.org