# Characteristics of survivors enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program

## TL;DR

This study describes the demographics and health conditions of survivors in the World Trade Center Health Program to support future research and healthcare improvements.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed demographic and health profile of WTC survivors enrolled in the federal health program.

## Key findings

- As of 2022, 37,384 survivors were enrolled, with 45.9% being female and 31.2% non-Hispanic White.
- 64.6% of survivors were certified for at least one WTC-related condition, including neoplasms and mental health issues.
- Certification rates for WTC-related conditions varied by sex, age, and race/ethnicity.

## Abstract

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program is a limited federal health care program that provides medical monitoring and treatment for WTC-related health conditions to responders and survivors impacted by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This study described the characteristics of the Program survivor members (who lived, worked, went to school, daycare or adult daycare or present in the New York City Disaster Area of 9/11/2001) to stimulate innovative ideas for improving healthcare services, generate new research interest, and serve as a reference for future research on this population. Administrative and medical claims data collected from the Program start date (07/01/2011) through 2022 were used. As of 12/31/2022, there were 37,384 enrolled survivors: 5.0% were aged ≤21 years on 9/11/2001, 45.9% females, and 31.2% non-Hispanic Whites. A total of 24,148 (64.6%) were certified for at least one WTC-related condition, including neoplasms (36.0%), aerodigestive disorders (35.6%) and mental health conditions (18.6%); 22.9% were certified for more than one category. Certification rates of some WTC-related conditions differed by sex, age and race/ethnicity. WTC survivor population is diverse in sex, age and race/ethnicity, with a high proportion certified for certain WTC-related health conditions, providing great opportunities for research in various areas.