ITVERP Assistance and Outreach
This report provides a summary of International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program (ITVERP) activities during the September 2009 through August 2010 reporting period. It covers two main areas of ITVERP assistance—application processing and claims payment, and public awareness activities undertaken to reach out to potential claimants. A discussion of future program needs and improvements is included at the end of the report.
Reimbursement Activities
This section highlights the activities and accomplishments related to ITVERP’s main function of processing applications for reimbursement, including—
- The number of applications received;
- The status of claims;
- The current processing time for claims;
- Details regarding reimbursements paid to claimants; and
- The number of appeals under the program to date.
Applications Received and Processed
ITVERP received 90 new applications for reimbursement during this reporting period. The applications reflect terrorist incidents dating from June 14, 1985, to September 17, 2009. Exhibit 5 illustrates the number of applications received during each ITVERP reporting period since the program’s inception in 2006.
During this reporting period, one of the program’s first filing deadlines for receipt of ITVERP applications was reached. October 6, 2009, marked the filing deadline for any terrorist incidents that occurred between December 21, 1988, and October 6, 2006. In October 2009, ITVERP received 32 applications from Foreign Service Nationals (FSN) (or their surviving spouses) who were injured or killed as a result of the U.S. Embassy bombing that occurred on August 7, 1998, in Nairobi, Kenya. (Foreign Nationals are not nationals of the United States, but work for the U.S. Government, typically at an embassy or consulate abroad.) These applications represent the first ITVERP claims filed by FSNs.
Status of Claims
As claims reach certain phases in the application process, OVC assigns them a status. In general, a claim is either active or inactive. Active claims include those that are in process, pending National Security Division (NSD) designation, and those partially paid. Active claims may be in process for several weeks while eligibility and expenses are verified, additional information is requested, etc. Frequently, claimants initiate the application process but do not provide complete information. Claimants have 120 calendar days from the time ITVERP receives their initial application to provide the necessary information or the claim will become inactive. Inactive claims are those that have been denied or designated as "claimant unresponsive." The other status assigned to claims is paid. A claim is considered paid after a claimant receives payment.
At the end of this reporting period, there were 115 total active claims, 104 claims were in process, 4 claims were pending NSD designation, and 7 claims were partially paid. ITVERP has paid 35 claims, denied 20 claims, and designated 14 claims inactive/unresponsive. Exhibit 6 depicts the status of all ITVERP claims.
Processing Time
Processing ITVERP claims requires verification of claimant eligibility and that the expenses submitted are processed in compliance with ITVERP regulations. Denied claims typically require less time to process than those found to be eligible for reimbursement because the factors that make a claim ineligible (e.g., claimant does not meet eligibility requirements) are identified in the initial steps of the claims process. Exhibit 7 shows the average length of time to process the 35 paid and 20 denied claims completed at the end of this reporting period.
Exhibit 8 shows the amount of time spent in different steps in the claims process, broken down by paid and denied claims.
Reimbursement Requests by Expense Categories
Potential claimants who have incurred multiple expenses as a result of their victimization may apply for reimbursement in more than one expense category. ITVERP case managers work closely with claimants and potential claimants to assess and fully identify their needs to ensure they receive the maximum reimbursement allowable. Exhibit 9 shows the number of reimbursements requested, by category, during the reporting period. Many claimants applied for reimbursement under multiple expense categories.
Reimbursements Paid by Expense Categories
To date, ITVERP fully paid 35 requests for reimbursement and made 7 partial payments. Those payments totaled $436,855.40. Exhibit 10 shows the percentage of reimbursements paid by expense category during the reporting period; many claimants applied for reimbursement under multiple expense categories.
Appeals
Under ITVERP regulations, claimants can file an appeal within 30 days of receipt of a final determination of their claim. During this reporting period, no appeals were processed.
Future Liability
In process claims represent an estimate of ITVERP’s future liability. If all in process claims are paid at the amounts requested, including balances remaining on partial payments, ITVERP’s future liability is $1,608,690.05.
Exhibit 11 shows ITVERP’s estimated future liability by expense category.
Promoting Public Awareness
After experiencing a terrorist incident, those affected must focus on immediate medical and mental health support, family, housing, and other needs for themselves and their loved ones. Many victims and their families are not aware of the resources available to them. A critical component of ITVERP includes ongoing outreach to inform victims of international terrorist incidents and their families of the assistance this program offers. Outreach activities are focused on two primary groups: potential claimants, and collaborating agencies and organizations that may have contact with potential claimants. This section details the outreach efforts that took place during this reporting period and provides information on the ITVERP Resource Center.
Outreach to Potential Claimants
ITVERP’s outreach efforts focus on victims of international acts of terrorism and their family members who may be eligible for reimbursement under the program. OVC coordinates with the Office for Victim Assistance (OVA) in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to identify potential claimants. When terrorist incidents occur outside the United States and involve U.S. citizens, DOS is the first to respond, locating and identifying the victims. DOS coordinates and communicates with OVA, and then OVA provides immediate and ongoing victim assistance support to victims and their family members. Where appropriate, OVA identifies ITVERP as a potential resource and provides program information to victims or their family members. For those victims and their families who choose to apply, OVC determines victim and expense eligibility.
Interagency coordination enhances ITVERP’s outreach efforts and gives potential claimants access to needed resources. During this reporting period, OVC, OVA, and DOS coordinated efforts to identify and reach out to 281 potential claimants. With materials provided by OVC, DOS and OVA disseminated ITVERP information in the immediate aftermath of the July 11, 2010, terrorist incident in Kampala, Uganda, and other attacks overseas.
Outreach to Collaborating Agencies and Organizations
Another goal of OVC’s outreach efforts is to educate the victim assistance community, including collaborating agencies and potential partners, about ITVERP. By reaching out to national and international organizations, and individuals that may come into contact with victims of international terrorism, OVC greatly increases awareness about ITVERP and the financial resources it provides to victims. Program outreach activities targeting collaborative agencies and potential partners during this reporting period included the following:
- ITVERP hosted an outreach table at the Mass Casualty and Terrorism Conference in Washington, D.C., from October 19–21, 2009. The display table featured copies of the OVC Terrorism and International Victim Assistance DVD, which was previewed at the conference.
- OVC provided an ITVERP presentation to DynCorp International on August 12, 2010, and distributed 20 ITVERP brochures and application materials.
ITVERP distributed outreach materials at conferences and meetings, including the following:
- ITVERP sent packages of materials to the 2009 NOVA National Conference and to participants in the 2009 National Victim Assistance Academy who requested information.
- ITVERP coordinated with the OVC Resource Center to disseminate 375 brochures at conferences in 2010 based on the OVC-approved list of conferences.
ITVERP Resource Center
The ITVERP Resource Center responds to questions and requests made through its dedicated toll free hotline and e-mail address. Program staff are available to respond to inquiries Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. eastern time. Federal, state, and local government agency staff contact the Resource Center to obtain information regarding the program’s rules and eligibility on behalf of specific victims, and to provide information about potential claimants and particular terrorist incidents that might qualify for ITVERP reimbursement. Similarly, nongovernment organizations (NGO) contact the ITVERP Resource Center to obtain information about the program to include in their own outreach efforts.
ITVERP Online
Applicants and potential claimants can obtain information about the program, including eligibility criteria, reimbursable expenses, and instructions for filing an application, through the ITVERP Web page. Potential claimants can download the application for reimbursement, checklists, and supporting documents directly from the site, which also provides a list of answers to frequently asked questions to assist with the application process. During this reporting period, OVC enhanced the page to include an updated list of NSD-designated terrorist incidents.
Future Program Needs and Improvements
While there have been important achievements since ITVERP began, OVC must continue to ensure that program information and ITVERP applications are readily accessible to victims and their families. During this time period, OVC learned valuable information that will guide future enhancements to ITVERP. For example, receipt and processing of the first claims by U.S.-employed FSNs yielded valuable information with respect to communicating effectively with claimants located outside of the United States, as well as developing operating procedures to facilitate specific reimbursement requests using a signed, itemized statement and comparable prices to estimate the value of items lost.
Customer service and communication with claimants is paramount and ensuring access to interpreters is critical to facilitating communication. OVC will continue to improve customer service, including reviewing the ITVERP claim process and improving staff verbal and written communications with victims applying for reimbursement. Additionally, OVC recognizes the importance of collaborating with other agencies and organizations and will continue to expand its partnership network into nongovernment-based organizations to increase outreach efforts.
As ITVERP continues to assist victims and their families in the aftermath of international terrorist incidents, OVC will refine and enhance its outreach and customer service efforts. In the coming year, OVC will focus on enhancing several program areas, including outreach efforts to victims of international terrorist incidents who are potentially eligible for the program; and continued coordination with NGOs, state compensation programs, and other federal agencies.