Municipalities Propose Workaround for Cancer Presumption for Firefighters

Thursday, February 18, 2016 | 0

Municipalities in Connecticut may have found a novel workaround for providing benefits to firefighters who contract cancer, according to the Connecticut Mirror newspaper.

Representatives for cities and counties in the state have been meeting with state legislators and labor representatives after legislation to provide a workers’ comp rebuttable presumption for firefighters who develop cancer failed last year.

Rep. David Rutigliano

Now municipalities have proposed that rather than workers’ compensation covering the claims, they instead purchase an additional form of disability insurance policies for firefighters in the state.

Disability insurance would be cheaper than workers’ compensation coverage and would not commit cities and counties to paying lifetime benefits, said Rep. David Rutigliano, R-Trumbull, who participated in the negotiations.

Last year, the state House of Representatives failed to vote on combined legislation that would have extended the firefighter’s rebuttable presumption and also provided post-traumatic stress benefits for police officers who are traumatized after responding to a homicide or other death caused by humans, other than motor vehicle accidents.

Connecticut is one of 17 states that does not have a legal rebuttable presumption for some type of cancers for firefighters, according to the newspaper.