Here’s a hypothetical story. A firefighter has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He has been in the fire service for over twenty years, and after receiving that terrible news, seeks workers’ compensation benefits to help cover the mounting costs of his medication, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
What the firefighter and his family don’t realize is how long it can take for a decision to be made regarding whether his claim is accepted or denied. The investigation alone can delay the process for months as the firefighter is asked invasive questions about his family history, employment background, lifestyle, previous home addresses, and medical history. Even if an administrative law judge reaches a decision, the firefighter’s case could still end up going back and forth for years.
Unfortunately, there have been numerous real world cases in which firefighters have gone through this exhausting process only to be denied benefits. Even worse, there have been cases in which injured firefighters have passed away before a final decision was reached. Not only does this affect the firefighter, it also places the financial burden on the surviving family. This is the primary reason why the CFHC Trust created our Cancer Program.
The Trust strives to deliver payouts within 10 days of confirmation of a diagnosed cancer. That means the firefighter in our story would have received a cash payment based on the type and stage of his brain cancer, because it is one of the five covered cancers. There would have been no interrogation by insurance adjusters, no months and months of delay. He and his family could focus on what matters most—fighting his cancer and healing, so that he can get back to life and back to work.
Fire departments in Colorado now have the opportunity to provide their firefighters with stability and certainty in those difficult times. That alone can help improve morale and department cohesion. Right now, many workers’ compensation providers are giving fire departments financial incentive to join the Cancer Program. These include Pinnacol Assurance and the Colorado Special Districts Pool. For more information on their programs contact your workers’ compensation provider.
If you’d like to chat with us about getting started with the Cancer Program, click here to request a quote or feel free to contact us.
