Committee Passes Bill Proposing Increase in Medical Payments on Firefighter Cancer Claims

Doctors could be paid more for treating Hawaii firefighters with occupational cancer claims than they would be paid for treating workers with other types of injuries under a bill passed out of a second state House of Representatives policy committee. Medical payments in Hawaii are capped at 110% of the amount Medicare pays for the same service. House Bill 1778, by Rep. Scott Saiki, D-McCully, would use the existing cap as the minimum payment for care provided in presumptive firefighter cancer claims.  The measure as passed by the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee on Tuesd...