Messages from the Special Master

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch today announced that she has chosen Rupa Bhattacharyya to head the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) after current VCF Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum steps down later this month. 

VCF Team, 

It has been a great privilege and honor for me to serve as Special Master of the 9/11 VCF for the last five years.  With all of your steady and devoted hands, the claims process is now wellsettled and proceeding apace, and new procedures have been set up to address the challenges of the recent re-authorization.  I believe it is a good time to step down and hand the reins over to a new Special Master.

Today, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) issued updated program statistics (available here). The report includes statistics as of July 10, 2016 on the status of Group A payments, and information on the eligibility and compensation decisions for both Group A and Group B claims.

Szanowni Państwo, od momentu reaktywacji funduszu VCF, która miała miejsce w grudniu 2015 roku, informuję Państwa na bieżąco o postępach i poszczególnych działaniach podejmowanych przez nas w celu wdrożenia zmian wymaganych zgodnie ze zmienioną ustawą. W kilku z przekazanych dotąd komunikatów wspominałam o dacie 15 czerwca 2016 r., będącej ustawowym terminem aktualizacji naszych przepisów i wydania Tymczasowych zasad ostatecznych.

亲爱的朋友们： 

自 2015 年 12 月 VCF 再授权后，我已不时公布我们所取得的最新进展以及我们为执行再授权法 规所要求的变动所采取的各项措施。我已在数则消息中提到，更新法规及发布临时最终规则的法 定截止时间为 2016 年 6 月 15 日。经过数月对已更新法规的研究，以及与参与规则制定流程的 政府实体进行密切协调之后，我很高兴地宣布暂行最终规则自即日起生效，并已发布在网上供公 众查阅和审核。另外，此规则已正式发布于联邦公报中，并且为期 30 天的征求意见期也已开始。 有关如何提交意见的相关信息，请参阅相关文件。将此法规作为暂行最终规则发布后，一旦获得 B 组资金，我们即可开始做出 B 组赔偿决议。与此同时，请仍然允许我仔细考虑在规则发布后所 收到的任何意见，并在公布最终规则之前做出任何必要修改。

Dear Friends,

Estimados amigos,

Dear Friends,

I am very happy to report to you today that we have paid over $1 billion dollars to claimants since the VCF reopened in 2011. This includes all payments made to date – either partial or in full – on Group A claims. I am tremendously proud of the VCF team for reaching this milestone, and deeply touched by the calls and letters we have received from claimants expressing their appreciation for the VCF’s efforts.

Today, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) issued updated program statistics (available here). This report shows the progress we have made since the VCF was reauthorized in December 2015.

I am pleased to announce that as of the end of the day on February 29, the VCF has authorized full payments on over 1,000 Group A claims at a total authorized value of more than $233.4 million.

As I stated in my message on February 22, 2016, our team has been working long hours to implement our plan for processing Group A payments. We have shifted more staff to focus on payments and I am proud we exceeded our first interim target - - to authorize 1,000 full payments by the end of February.

Szanowni Państwo,  

20 stycznia 2016 r., w miesiąc po podpisaniu reaktywacji Ustawy, zamieściliśmy na naszej stronie internetowej informacje zawierające najczęściej zadawanie pytania („FAQ”), które wyjaśniają zaktualizowane zasady i procedury oraz harmonogram wypłacania wniosków z grupy A oraz rozpatrywania wniosków z grupy B.   

亲爱的朋友们： 
 
2016 年 1 月 20 日，即再授权法案签署成为法律后一个月，我们在网站上发布了信息，其中包 括解释最新政策和程序的常见问题解答 (FAQ)，以及处理 A 组付款和审查 B 组索赔的预期时间 表。   

我们的计划需要对人员和资源进行重大重新分配，因此我们的团队长时间努力工作以进行实施。 在此，我很高兴地向大家介绍到目前为止我们取得的最新进展，并借此机会，说明我们的原计划 需要进行的一些变动。

A 组赔款 

Dear Friends,

On January 20, 2016, one month after the reauthorization bill was signed into law, we posted information to our website that included Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) explaining updated policies and procedures, and our expected timeline for processing Group A payments and reviewing Group B claims.

Estimados amigos:

El 20 de enero de 2016, un mes después de que la propuesta de reautorización fuera aprobada como ley, publicamos información en nuestro sitio web que incluía las Preguntas Frecuentes (Frequently Asked Questions, FAQ) que explicaban las políticas y procedimientos actualizados y nuestro lapso estimado para procesar los pagos del Grupo A y renovar los reclamos del Grupo B.   

Our Annual Report released today (available here) reflects a year of significant progress for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund ("VCF"). Through the dedication and hard work of our team, our ongoing work with claimants and counsel, and our continuing collaboration with other third parties, we were able to continue our focus on efficiently and accurately processing claims and render an increasing number of award determinations.

亲爱的朋友们： 

2015 年 12 月 18 日，奥巴马总统签署了一项法案，再次批准《2010 年詹姆士·扎德罗伽 9/11 健 康与赔偿法案》。这包括再次批准未来五年的 9/11 受害人赔偿基金（VCF），而受 9/11 事件及 其余波影响的人员将因此而受益。 

新法指示 VCF“尽快”向“A 组索赔”（即 2015 年 12 月 17 日或之前做出损失判定的索赔）的 索赔人支付“全额赔偿”。为满足此要求，我已调动额外工作人员去支持支付流程，从而在不影 响对我们的项目有至关重要的质量控制措施的前提下迅速支付相关款项。 

新法同时也要求对 VCF 有关评估 B 组索赔和计算相关损失的政策和流程做出重要改动。B 组索赔 即不属于新法所界定的 A组索赔的索赔。新法规定针对合格 B 组索赔人的资金。我正与我的团队 一起工作，以确定新法对索赔人以及我们的日常运作的影响。 

在制定新的政策及流程的同时，我们也在重新评估提出索赔所需的文件（包括索赔表和附加材 料）、提出和审查索赔的系统以及在我们网站上公布的信息。我将此看作复审我们的索赔表、重 新设计我们的在线系统并调整相关流程的机会，从而满足新的要求，并提高我们的工作效率。

Estimados Amigos,

El 18 de diciembre del 2015, el Presidente Obama firmó la reautorización la Ley James Zadroga 11-S de Salud y Compensación. Esto incluye la reautorización del Fondo de Compensación de las Victimas del 11 de Septiembre (VCF por sus siglas en inglés) por 5 años más, el cual beneficiará a los individuos afectados por los eventos y secuelas del 9/11. 

Dear Friends,

On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law a bill reauthorizing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. This includes reauthorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) for another 5 years, which will benefit individuals impacted by the events of 9/11 and its aftermath.

Szanowni Państwo,  

18 grudnia 2015 r., Prezydent Obama podpisał przepisy reaktywujące Ustawę im. Jamesa Zadrogi o opiece zdrowotnej i odszkodowaniach dla ofiar 9/11 (James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act) uchwaloną w 2010 r. Dotyczy to również reaktywacji Funduszu Odszkodowań dla Ofiar 11 września (September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, VCF) na następne 5 lat, którego celem jest pomoc osobom dotkniętym wydarzeniami z 11 września i ich następstwami.  

This September 11th, the Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) focuses its attention on the work that remains ahead of us. Our commitment to this work is the most important way the Fund can honor the sacrifice of those who were lost on September 11, 2001, and those who continue to struggle.

I am proud to announce that the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has made loss determinations of more than $1.3 billion. As of June 30, 2015, the VCF has approved 11,770 eligibility claims and made 5,636 loss decisions, totaling $1,310,149,991. First responders account for 91 percent of the total loss amount. Individuals with cancer diagnoses account for 18 percent of the awards. This information and additional updated program statistics are available here.

I am proud to announce that the VCF has made loss determinations of more than $1 billion. As of March 31, 2015, the VCF has approved 10,549 eligibility claims and rendered 4,415 loss decisions, totaling $1,058,398,144. First responders account for 92 percent of the total loss amount. Individuals with cancer diagnoses account for 27 percent of the awards. This information and additional updated program statistics are available here.

The VCF will deny eligibility claims when claimants do not respond to multiple requests for missing information. Many eligibility claims are submitted without required supporting documents. The VCF makes multiple attempts to work with the claimant and/or the attorney to obtain the necessary supporting documentation so that the VCF can determine eligibility. If the claimant does not respond to this outreach (after a minimum of two requests) the VCF will deny the eligibility claim.

Today, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) issued updated program statistics (available here). As of Jan. 2, 2015, the VCF has found 9,677 claimants eligible for compensation and has made 3,128 compensation determinations (approximately 67 percent of the compensation claims that have been submitted with appropriate supporting documentation). The total value of those compensation determinations is $804,116,233.

Fiscal Year 2014 was a very productive year at the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. In our first two years, we were focused on everything required to start a significant new program, including hiring staff, developing claim forms and ways to process those forms, and reaching out to prospective claimants to file their claims. This year, we were focused on processing and paying claims, and we have seen positive results.