Ohio the Latest to Debate Firefighter Presumption

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 | 0

Ohio is the latest state grappling with whether to expand disability protection for firefighters by adopting a presumption that certain cancers are job-related.

Thirty-three states now have such laws, which leave it to the firefighters’ employers — typically cities or counties — to prove that the cancer was not work-related if they want to deny benefits.

In addition to Ohio, states without the laws are: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.

In Ohio, two bills were introduced this year related to the issue: HB 292 and SB 27. They’ve been referred to the House and Senate insurance committee, respectively.

According to an article by Stateline, a news service of the Pew Charitable Trusts, local governments are concerned about the legislation’s cost. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation estimated that SB 27, if approved, would result in 568 additional claims a year at a cost of about $75.3 million.

And some question whether the link between firefighting and cancer has been proven. Firefighter unions and other supporters of the measure say the link has been established, the news service reported.