Statement of 911 Health Watch on Message from September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Special Master and Updated Statistics

July 3, 2014

I wanted to share with you 911 Health Watch’s Statement on today’s Message from September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Special Master Sheila Birnbaum and her release of Updated Statistics.

“In today’s message from Special Master Sheila Birnbaum and accompanying updated statistics, we are glad to see the continued improvement in the processing of claims by September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The increase in the number of eligibility determinations and the doubling of compensation determinations are promising and indicate that delays in processing claims are being dealt with.

“The Special Master continues to be responsive to suggestions from 911 Health Watch and others to improve and speed up the claims process.

” With the upcoming anniversary this September, we are hopeful that the additional actions that the Special Master is taking will lead to even more improvements in the number of injured and ill 9/11 Responders and Survivors getting the help that they have been waiting for.”

Here is the Special Masters Statement

Here are updated statistics from the VCF (Download pdf)

Here are some of the statistics that the Special Master reported on:

  • The report states that as of June 30, 2014, of those who registered with the VCF, 15,600 have submitted eligibility forms. According to Ms. Birnbaum, of those 15,600, 7,075 or over 81% of those cases that can be decided, have been determined eligible for compensation, while 6,901 claims cannot be decided because they are missing either signed permission to obtain claimants’ records, adequate medical documentation, or sufficient proof that claimants were at the site.
  • Of the 7,075 claimants who were determined eligible, 3,528 have submitted compensation forms, for which 1,145 compensation decisions have been made — an increase of 643 decisions since March 2014.
  • As of the June 30, 2014, the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has made determinations for compensation of $322,462,945 million dollars — an increase of $127,854,230 since March.
  • Of the 1,145 claims that have had determinations made, 1,007 have been for responders, 128 have been non responders and 10 have been injured residents.