WASHINGTON DC. WA, September 11, 2026 — The fallout from that day—physically, at least—is still coming to light 25 years after the towers collapsed. The number of participants in the World Trade Center Health Program, the federal system designed to treat illnesses linked to exposure at Ground Zero, has surpassed 137,000. Doctors say new diagnoses are still coming in, as illnesses from toxic dust often cannot be seen until decades later.
A Program Built From Tragedy
The WTC Health Program was created by Congress under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, named for an NYPD officer who died as a result of a respiratory disease related to his service at Ground Zero. The program, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), offers free treatment for approved 9/11-related illnesses. It now provides support for responders and survivors from the New York City site, the Pentagon, and the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Approximately three-quarters of enrollees are responders, and the rest are classified as survivors: people who lived, worked, or went to school in an area close to the disaster zone. After Congress expanded the eligibility criteria in recent years, the number of eligible Pentagon and Shanksville responders grew significantly. This solution opened access to thousands who had previously lost coverage.
The Scope of Ongoing Illness
CDC data shows almost 60 percent of people currently in the program have one or more medical conditions connected to their exposure during the attacks on September 11. Some of the most regularly certified conditions are cancer, respiratory disease, and mental health conditions. Approximately 36% of members certified for an illness have been diagnosed with cancer—a statistic that researchers continue to scrutinize.
As the anniversary approached, leukemia became the most common certified cancer, whereas colon and bladder cancers had been top ranked a quarter century after first exposure. The program’s data also indicates that responders have higher rates of prostate and thyroid cancer than the general population. Doctors explain that the long latency periods characterizing cancer development account for continuous new cases.
A Program Showing Real Results
Research from the program shows that enrollees are at a one-third reduced risk of death from any cause compared to non-members, a difference researchers mostly attribute to regular monitoring by doctors. Mortality among enrollees is 34% lower than New York State residents with cancer who are similar in age, sex, and demographic features. Officials attribute those outcomes to early screening and coordinated case management.
Rear Admiral Lisa Delaney, who oversees the program through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), called the milestone “a very personal one” for many staff members who have worked alongside responders for years. Those who may qualify but haven’t enrolled, she noted, should seek to enroll, as some diagnoses only now emerging have been linked through a long history of exposure. As the 25th anniversary urges us to focus again on the purpose of the program, that message has become all the more pressing.
Financial Pressure Threatens Future Care
The program faces a large funding gap in coming years, regardless of its outcomes. Advocates have warned of a $3-billion shortfall by 2032 if Congress does not provide additional funding. Officials say the program will likely have to reduce services or stop taking new enrollees within a few years without more support.
Labor and advocacy groups have asked lawmakers to provide full funding for both the health program and the related 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). A program designed to fulfill a promise made in the wake of a national tragedy continues fighting over its future funding, even as the 25th anniversary of the attacks brings focus back to the survivors still dealing with their effects.
