(a) Payment date. Subject to paragraph (c) of this section, the Special Master shall authorize payment of an award to a claimant not later than 20 days after the date on which:
(1) The claimant accepts the presumed award; or
(2) A final award for the claimant is determined after a hearing on appeal.
(b) Failure to accept or appeal presumed award. If a claimant fails to accept or appeal the presumed award determined for that claimant within 30 days, the presumed award shall be deemed to have been accepted and all rights to appeal the award shall have been waived.
(c) Pro-ration and payment of remaining claims. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Title II of Public Law 111-347, requires that the total amount of Federal funds paid for expenditures including compensation with respect to claims filed on or after October 3, 2011, will not exceed $2,775,000,000. Furthermore, the total amount of Federal funds expended during the period from October 3, 2011, through October 3, 2016, may not exceed $875,000,000.
(1) In general. The Special Master shall ratably reduce the amount of compensation due claimants in a manner to ensure, to the extent possible, that all claimants who are determined to be entitled to a payment receive a payment during the period from October 3, 2011, to October 3, 2016, and that the total amount of all such payments made during that 5-year period do not exceed the amount available under law during that period. The Special Master may periodically adjust the amount of ratable reduction in light of available information regarding potential future claims and available funds, and may make additional payments in light of such adjustments.
(2) Subsequent payments. Subject to paragraph (c)(3) of this section, in any case in which the amount of a claim is ratably reduced pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section, on or after October 3, 2016, but in no event later than October 3, 2017, the Special Master shall pay to the claimant the amount that is equal to the difference between:
(i) The amount that the claimant would have been paid under the presumed award; and
(ii) The amount the claimant was paid during the period from October 3, 2011, to October 3, 2016.
(3) In the event that the total amount of all claims under paragraph (c)(2) of this section exceeds the amount available under law, the Special Master shall ratably reduce the amount of compensation due claimants in a manner to ensure, to the extent possible, that all claimants who are determined to be entitled to an additional payment receive their pro-rated share of the available funds.
(4) At the time at which subsequent payments are made, the Special Master may review offsets from the World Trade Center Health Program that were included in the award determination and adjust such subsequent payments to reflect the Program's current status.
(5) During the five years that the Fund is accepting claims, the Special Master shall report periodically on the total amount of all claims under paragraph (c)(2) of this section.