Health program expands to include more who responded on 9/11 in Shanksville, Pentagon

(WTAJ) — The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program has announced that they’re expanding eligibility for those who responded to the Pentagon and Shanksville on 9/11.

The expansion comes at the publication of an interim final rule that is in effect as of Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. Before it was publicized, there was a total of 1,330 Pentagon and Shanksville responders enrolled in the WTC Health Program (1,183 Pentagon and 147 Shanksville).

However, previous research shows it is possible that up to 8,500 people may have responded at the Pentagon site and more than 1,000 people responded to the Shanksville crash site. These people are now eligible for the WTC Health Program and include:

• employees of the Department of Defense (DOD) or any other federal agency, contractors of the DOD or any other federal agency
• members of a regular or reserve component of the uniformed services

Previously eligibility was limited to members of a fire or police department (active or retired), and people who worked for a recovery or cleanup contractor, or were a volunteer; and performed rescue, recovery, demolition, debris cleanup, or other related services.

“Today’s action means that those who bravely responded to the Pentagon and Shanksville sites on 9/11 and in the following weeks, who were previously ineligible, may now qualify for the WTC Health Program, opening up monitoring and treatment with no out-of-pocket costs upon enrolling in the Program,” Administrator of the WTC Health Program John Howard, M.D. said.

You can learn more about the health program and how you can enroll on the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program website .

Excluding those who may now be eligible, over 135,000 members are enrolled in the WTC Health Program.

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According to a release, Since 9/11, over 84,000 people have been diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions resulting from exposure to the dust, debris, and traumatic events of 9/11. Over 20 years later, thousands suffer from chronic health conditions linked to 9/11 exposures.

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