SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Firefighters say a missing comma in Arizona law is threatening workers' compensation coverage for firefighters diagnosed with cancer, and a bill meant to fix the problem is facing last-minute opposition from the insurance industry.
Arizona lawmakers have been advancing what is called the "comma bill" throughout the legislative session. Senate Bill 1215 centers on how adenocarcinoma is listed as a covered cancer under state law. Without a comma after the word "adenocarcinoma," insurance companies argue only adenocarcinoma of the respiratory tract is covered.
Sun City firefighter Matt O'Reilly spent more than a year fighting to get his cancer claim covered after his diagnosis was not in his respiratory tract.
"It was pretty heartbreaking, because here I am, like, trying to just recover from surgery," O'Reilly told ABC15 in an interview last year.
Senator Kevin Payne introduced the bill to make clear that adenocarcinoma is a stand-alone covered cancer, not limited to the respiratory tract.
"Last year, six different firefighters were challenged on this particular cancer. All six had to go and fight it," Payne said.
"They're fighting cancer. They don't need to be fighting insurance, too," he said.
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The legislation faced little opposition for most of the session. But Payne said the bill ran into problems this week as he prepared to bring it to the Senate floor for a final vote.
"The insurance folks have come back and said, they're challenging, they want this bill to fail," Payne said.
Dan Freiberg, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, said he is cautiously optimistic the bill will still pass.
"If you're a firefighter, and you're sick and you have cancer and you have a family and you've given up your life for your community, I would say it's critically important to get this done," Freiberg said.
Freiberg said if the legislation fails, firefighters will not give up until it passes.
"If this thing doesn't pass it's shameful. We're going to know the reasons why it didn't pass. We're going to come back. We'll do it again," Freiberg said.
ABC15 reached out to a lobbyist for the insurance industry but has not yet heard back.
The bill could be up for a final vote at any time.
