Recently Passed Legislation Expands World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Eligibility for Pentagon and Shanksville Responders

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program is pleased that the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA) expands Program enrollment eligibility for Pentagon and Shanksville responders.

Under the Zadroga Act, the types of responders eligible for enrollment in the WTC Health Program based on their response activities at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania was limited. The NDAA amends the Zadroga Act to expand eligibility for Pentagon and Shanksville responders to include certain active duty, retired, or reserve members of the military, civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DOD), or certain DOD contractors who responded to the Pentagon or Shanksville sites.

We are actively reviewing the NDAA’s expanded eligibility criteria to determine what regulatory changes are needed to implement the new law. These regulatory changes must occur before new enrollments can begin. The Program is hopeful that new enrollments for this expanded population of Pentagon and Shanksville responders will begin by the summer of 2024.

We will be providing updates as this process moves forward to ensure the newly eligible individuals can access the Program’s healthcare benefits, as soon as possible. Be sure to subscribe for our eNews updates.