VIDEO: Two Republican lawmakers have introduced bills to correct what firefighters say is a missing comma that’s allowing insurance companies to deny workers’ compensation claims for some cancers.
The legislation comes after ABC15 exposed the issue in December, revealing how firefighters say this punctuation error is creating a loophole that’s making them fight for their benefits. Sen. Kevin Payne (R-District 27) and Rep. Walt Blackman (R-District 7) are sponsoring bills to clarify Arizona law, which says certain cancers are presumed to be work-related for firefighters and covered under workers’ compensation.
The problem centers on how the law lists adenocarcinoma as a covered cancer. The statute lacks a comma after the word “adenocarcinoma” and before the phrase “or mesothelioma of the respiratory tract.” ABC15 has reported that some insurance companies are denying claims, arguing that only adenocarcinoma of the respiratory tract is covered.
The bills clarify that adenocarcinoma is a stand-alone cancer covered under the state’s presumptive cancer law for firefighters, regardless of where it develops in a firefighter’s body. The bills go beyond adding a comma. Lawmakers are proposing placing a period after the word “adenocarcinoma” to remove any doubt.
