CDC program is still focusing on care for 9/11 responders, survivors 25 years later

A quarter century after the September 11 attacks, the World Trade Center Health Program continues treating survivors and responders, with more than 144,000 enrolled nationwide and 3,500 new sign-ups in 2025 alone. In New Jersey, at least 6,900 people have received free care for cancers, lung disease, and mental health conditions tied to Ground Zero exposure, coordinated through Rutgers.

The program, born from the 2010 Zadroga Act and extended by Congress through 2090, spent $355 million on medical claims for 61,000 people last year and now carries nearly $1 billion in the current federal budget. Officials say cancers and PTSD symptoms often take decades to surface, which is why enrollment keeps climbing a generation later.

An estimated 400,000 people were in the Ground Zero area when the towers fell, meaning more than 250,000 remain eligible but not yet enrolled. Program officials say the anniversary itself tends to drive a fresh wave of applicants.

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