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September 6, 2018 – The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Seeks Nominees for the Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC)
The STAC has 17 member positions and is currently seeking nominations for 6 of these positions in the following categories:
- Environmental medicine or Environmental health specialist;
- Occupational physician who has experience treating WTC rescue and recovery workers;
- Physician with expertise in pulmonary medicine;
- Representative of WTC responders; and
- Representative of certified-eligible WTC survivors
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September 1, 2018 – Pharmacy Benefits Change for Over-the-Counter Products
Starting December 1, 2018, the WTC Health Program will limit the types of over-the-counter products that will be covered by the Program. Over-the-counter products are medications and supplies that are available for purchase without a prescription, such as cold medicines, vitamins, and bandages.
Which Over-the-Counter Products Will Continue to Be Covered With a Prescription?
The following types of over-the-counter products will continue to be covered for treatment of your certified WTC-related health condition:
- Proton pump inhibitors (e.g., Prilosec OTC);
- Nasal steroids (e.g., Flonase Allergy Relief);
- Saline nasal solutions (e.g., Simply Saline);
- Anti-histamines (e.g., Allegra Allergy);
- Nicotine replacement therapies (e.g., Nicoderm CQ);
- Asthma-related products (e.g., nebulizers, spacers, peak flow meters); and
- Diabetes-related products (e.g., glucose monitors, glucose test strips, lancets).
Which Over-the-Counter Products Will No Longer Be Covered?
All other over-the-counter products will no longer be covered. For over-the-counter products no longer covered, you will have to use your insurance or pay out of pocket.
How Can You Get Your Over-the-Counter Products Covered?
If you qualify under the WTC Health Program for coverage of any of the above covered medications or supplies, it will be treated as a prescription by the Program. Your WTC Health Program provider will need to write a prescription for the over-the-counter product. After the pharmacy (retail or home delivery) receives the prescription, it can be filled and covered like any of your other WTC Health Program covered medications or supplies. You will need to provide the pharmacist with your WTC Health Program information if they do not already have it.
More information on Pharmacy Benefits is available here
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August 30, 2018 – William Street Clinic Opens in Lower Manhattan
Announced earlier this year, the William Street Clinic in Lower Manhattan is now open.
The new clinic provides initial health evaluations, benefits counseling, and treatment coordination for survivors only, and is operated by Logistics Health Incorporated (LHI), who also provides survivor care through the Nationwide Provider Network.
Survivor enrollees awaiting their initial health evaluation will be assigned to either the new William Street Clinic or the existing Survivor Clinical Center of Excellence, NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H). Members will be contacted by phone or mail to schedule an initial health evaluation appointment.
More information on the William Street Clinic is available here.
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July 20, 2018 – New Clinic to Increase Capacity in Scheduling Initial Appointments for Survivor Enrollees
The WTC Health Program has been working to address the time required for scheduling appointments for enrolled survivors to get their initial health evaluations. To increase the number of appointments, we will launch a new clinic at 156 William Street in Lower Manhattan. This clinic will provide appointments for initial health evaluations - in-depth exams that look for physical and mental health conditions that may be related to the WTC disaster. For health conditions that are approved (鈥渃ertified鈥�) as WTC-related, the William Street Clinic will coordinate survivors鈥� care with WTC providers in the New York metropolitan area.
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July 1, 2018 – Program Anniversary Statement:
Statement marking the seven-year anniversary of the WTC Health Program
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June 6, 2018 – Notice: Information for individuals who may be experiencing increased wait times for scheduling initial health evaluations
Information About Delays for Scheduling Initial Health Evaluations
The WTC Health Program is aware of the increased number of individuals, primarily survivors, seeking enrollment and/or certification of their health conditions. The WTC Health Program is taking active steps to address the waiting time for an initial health evaluation for enrolled screening-eligible survivors.
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April 27, 2018 – Change in Pharmacy for Home Delivery Medications
On April 25th, 2018, home delivery service (also known as mail order) for the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program changed to provider OptumRx for non-specialty medications and BriovaRx for specialty medications. Both are partner companies of Optum, the WTC Health Program pharmacy benefit manager (PBM).
Members with existing home delivery medications were recently sent a letter by Optum with more information about the change.
What do I need to do?
You do not need to take any action at this time. Optum automatically transferred your current home delivery prescription(s) with refills from the former provider Walgreens to OptumRx and/or BriovaRx. There are no changes to your pharmacy benefit card.
As always, your WTC-covered prescription(s) remain free of charge as long as it is prescribed or approved by your Clinical Centers of Excellence (CCE) physician. You may also continue to use your local pharmacy for WTC immediate and short-term medication (antibiotics, cough medicines, etc.) or for fill-in supplies of a WTC-covered maintenance medication.
If you have questions about this change to your home delivery service, who you contact depends on your CCE:
- FDNY WTC Health Program Member Services: 718-999-1858
- Mount Sinai WTC Health Program Member Services: 888-702-0630
- Northwell WTC Health Program Member Services: 718-267-2420
- NYC WTC Health Program Member Services: 212-263-7335
- Rutgers WTC Health Program Member Services: 848-445-0123, option 3
- NYC Health & Hospitals System WTC Environmental Health Center, SUNY-Stony Brook, and National Provider Network (NPN)/LHI should contact Optum at 855-640-0005, option 2
For more information on WTC Health Program Pharmacy Benefits, visit
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April 25, 2018 – Remembering Dr. Lewis V. Wade
Dr. Lewis V. Wade passed away earlier this week. We at the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program are saddened by his death. With the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Lew served as a Senior Advisor to guide, develop, and implement NIOSH鈥檚 responsibilities as the administrative body for the WTC Health Program. After his retirement from NIOSH in 2008, he continued to provide his wise counsel to NIOSH鈥檚 WTC Health Program and its staff.
Dr. Wade was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He received his BS degree in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College in 1967; a MS degree in Civil Engineering in 1968; and began his professional career with the Bureau of Mines in 1971, following the completion of his PhD in civil engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. During his 25 year tenure with the Bureau of Mines he worked on a variety of research including roof control and rock mechanics. He conducted the initial research investigations on design and performance of Longwall Mining Systems with a focus on shield supports for ground control. Lew held several managerial research positions, rising up through the ranks. He finished his career with the Bureau of Mines as the Research Director of the Twin Cities Research Center, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Associate Director for Research, in Washington, D.C., when the Bureau of Mines was disbanded in 1996. He then spent 5 years managing the Information Technology Systems for the Water Resources Division of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and was responsible for the USGS YUCCA Mountain project for the Department of Energy high level nuclear waste site effort. In 2000, he became the Associate Director, Office for Mine Safety and Health Research, for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). He became the NIOSH Senior Science Advisor in 2004, and was instrumental in guiding NIOSH and its staff as it worked to create a new program established by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness and Compensation Act of 2000 and its Presidential Advisory Board for Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH). He became the Designated Federal Official for the ABRWH and the Technical Project Officer for the Board鈥檚 contract with Sanford Cohen & Associates for technical support. With the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Lew shifted his Senior Advisor focus to guide, develop and implement NIOSH鈥檚 new responsibilities as the administrative body for the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. After his retirement from NIOSH in 2008, he continued to provide his wise counsel to NIOSH鈥檚 WTC Health Program and its staff as a contract employee.
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April 24, 2018 – Federal Register Notice:
On January 5, 2018, the Administrator of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health
Program received a petition (Petition 018) to add hypertension (high blood pressure) to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions (List). Upon reviewing the scientific and medical literature, including information provided by the petitioner, the Administrator has determined that the available evidence does not have the potential to provide a basis for a decision on whether to add hypertension to the List.
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January 8, 2018 – Remembering Dr. James (Jim) Melius, M.D., Dr. PH.
Chair, World Trade Center Responders Steering Committee
Dr. Jim Melius passed away unexpectedly last week. We at the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program are saddened by his death. Dr. Melius was an early, prominent, and sustaining voice supporting those involved in the rescue, recovery, and clean up efforts following the September 11th terrorist attacks. He championed the first medical monitoring and treatment programs and worked tirelessly to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which created the WTC Health Program, and worked even harder to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act in 2015.
"The nation has lost a great worker health champion," said Dr. John Howard, Administrator of the WTC Health Program. "Dr. Melius dedicated his career to protecting workers from injury and illness. All of us who work in the WTC Health Program will miss Dr. Melius鈥� leadership, scholarship, and dedication to the responder and survivor members of the Program."
A private funeral service is planned.
A memorial for Dr. Melius will take place in the Stern Auditorium at Mount Sinai Medical Center at 11:00 a.m. on March 26, 2018. Mount Sinai Medical Center is located on Madison Avenue at E. 101st St. on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is also possible to enter the medical center from Fifth Avenue at E. 101st St.
