PHOENIX — A new state law that took effect January 1 significantly expands access to state cancer insurance benefits for retired firefighters and police officers.
Firefighters face a higher risk of cancer than the general population, according to the CDC.
“The risk of cancer and firefighting is substantial,” said Brian Moore, a captain with the Phoenix Fire Department. He’s also a trustee with the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, which oversees the state’s Cancer Insurance Program.
He’s watched colleagues battle this reality. That cancer risk doesn’t go away when a firefighter retires.
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“If you talk to retired firefighters who haven't had cancer, they're kind of walking around thinking about a time bomb,” Moore said. “They don’t know when it’s going to happen, when's their number going to be up, and that's a big worry.”
Here’s how the new law, HB 2689, works:
- Before this change, state cancer insurance coverage for retirees who were never diagnosed with cancer would expire at a certain point based on their years of service. Now, retirees can extend their coverage beyond that expiration date by paying an annual premium of $185.
- The state program provides tax-free benefits for retirees diagnosed with cancer, including $500 for skin cancer and $15,000 for other cancer diagnoses with a lifetime maximum of $100,000. The program also offers a $10,000 death benefit for survivors.
Moore said the program isn’t designed to cover all expenses related to cancer.
“It's more of a small financial benefit and reimbursement-type program,” he said.
The state’s Public Safety Personnel Retirement System will contact eligible retirees using emails and postcards. Retirees whose coverage has expired have one year to opt into the program. An estimated 7,500 people across Arizona are eligible.
“We're going to make a full court press to make sure all the retirees are aware of this,” Moore said.
In fiscal 2025, the Cancer Insurance Program distributed nearly $2.4 million in claim payments and reimbursements, processing about 540 cancer claims. This included survivor benefits to more than 30 members and retirees who died from cancer.
For more information, see the website.
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