Articles Posted in Injured EMT/Paramedic

As part of the Year-End Tax and Spending Bill, Congress renewed and extended the Zadroga Act for the next 75 years. It essentially makes the program permanent.  In doing so, Congress has provided a combined $8.1 billion for the program, and fully-funded, for the next five years, the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.  The president signed the bill into law on December 18^th.

Among other things, the WTC Heath Program will continue to provide vital health care and medical monitoring for 9/11 related illnesses for first responders and survivors. First responders and survivors who have moved out of the NYC metropolitan area will continue to receive necessary health care and medical monitoring.  NYC will continue to match up to 10% of the cost associated with the program.  Research into diagnosing and treating 9/11 related illness will continue as well.

The September 11^th Victim Compensation Fund which was set to close in October 2016 will continue to provide needed compensation to first responders, survivors, and surviving families.  This fund has paid out over $1.44 billion to those who were injured or killed in the line of duty or have fallen in to various cancers and medical conditions.  The fund is expecting more claims as delayed onset of various cancers related to 9/11 exposure manifest themselves in the coming years.

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The federal death benefit under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) Program for our heroes who die or are killed in the line of duty death has been increased to $339,310 for 2015 (including those deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2014).  PSOB programs provide death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, as well as disability benefits to those catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

Line of duty death benefits are payable to eligible survivors (including spouses, domestic partners, children, or parents).  Deaths from heart attacks and strokes are presumed to have occurred in the line of duty under the expanded Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act.  Spouses and children of fallen public safety officers are also eligible for financial support for college and higher education costs.  Additionally, a disability benefit is payable to public safety officers injured in the line of duty and permanently prevented from performing any gainful work in the future.

You can access additional information concerning the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Public Safety Officer Benefits Programs by clicking here: https://www.psob.gov