Amid shutdown, federal government will still cover 9/11 health sufferers

Long Islanders seeking and receiving medical treatment through the World Trade Center Health Program will see no interruption in care during the government shutdown, officials say.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which operates the health program, said services for survivors of the nation’s worst terror attacks are unaffected by the shutdown.

Neither the health program, which provides medical treatment for about 137,000 ailing first responders and survivors with conditions linked to toxic exposure from the attacks, nor the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, are funded through Congress’ appropriations process. The programs both have mandatory funding streams that continue after a shutdown, according to Ben Chevat, executive director of 9/11 Health Watch, an advocacy group.

On its website, the VCF, which provides funding to individuals and families that suffered injuries or were killed during the attack or its aftermath, said it remains “fully operational. Our helpline continues to take calls, and we are reviewing and processing claims. Claimants whose claims are in the payment process during the shutdown should expect delays in the processing of their VCF payment as other federal agencies are involved in the payment process.”

But Michael Barasch, a Manhattan attorney representing thousands of health program members, including those on Long Island, said he still worries that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will follow the federal guidelines.

“We are fearful that anything, including additional furloughs of health program doctors and nurses, is possible,” Barasch said. “We hope that our legislators remember their promise to ‘never forget’ the 9/11 community.”

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.