Comp Could Pay for Officer's Heart Transplant if County Approves Settlement

When the Florida Legislature approved a heart disease presumption for first responders in 2002, few municipalities may have realized that their workers' comp insurance would one day have to pay for heart transplants. “We knew we'd be on the hook for some major expenses, but I can't say we anticipated heart transplants,” said Kraig Conn, lobbyist and attorney for the Florida League of Cities. The Volusia County Council will meet next week and decide if it will sign off on a $430,000 settlement with a retired county correctional officer. The officer, Brian Scherer, rece...