The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Special Master, Sheila Birnbaum, issued a new statement today regarding the Reauthorization of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Click link here to read her entire message: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund_Sheila Birnbaum Message_12_30_2015_2.
Special Master Birnbaum’s statement is intended to inform claimants of the procedures she plans on implementing to carry out the directives in the new Zadroga Re-authorization Act.
Specifically, she stated that the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund will:
- Move additional staff to support payment of “Group A Claims” (written loss determinations issued on or before 12/17/2015) “expeditiously”;
- Expects it will take 3-6 months to complete “Group A” payments;
- Develop new policies and procedures, including re-evaluating claim forms, for “Group B Claims” to increase efficiency;
- Pay all “Group A Claims” fully before paying any compensation on “Group B Claims”;
- Continue to process and render decisions on “eligibility” claims submitted before 12/18/2015;
- Continue to review “compensation” claims submitted before 12/18/2015. However, the VCF estimates that no new award determinations will be made until the summer of 2016 and no actual payments will be made until the fall of 2016;
- Post updates and changes on the Victim Compensation Fund website, www.VCF.gov . (Also, see this website for analysis and advice on the updates and changes);
- Commits to transparency and fairness in the award determination process;
- Welcomes comments and input to implement the changes required by the new law;
Bottom Line – the Special Master and her staff at the Justice Department have a huge amount of work in the next 180 days to plan and implement new procedures for the very welcome Zadroga Reauthorization Act.
Turley Hansen and Partners wish the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund good luck in implementing the new Zadroga Reauthorization Act and stand ready to assist in their efforts to issue much needed compensation to 9/11 heroes as soon as possible.
