Firefighter Cancer Benefit Program Information
Firefighter Cancer Benefit Program Information
In 2017, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 146, which requires legally organized fire departments to provide cancer benefits to firefighters as of January 1, 2018. All fire departments (city, county, state volunteer and private) are required by state law to provide certain firefighter cancer insurance benefits in order to maintain certification with the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council.
The state-required legislation takes in to account two components: 1) critical illness insurance and 2) long-term disability insurance.
The critical illness insurance is a lump sum benefit that is paid when a firefighter is diagnosed with a covered cancer.
The long-term disability insurance is partial income replacement for when you are unable to work as a firefighter for a long period of time due to a cancer diagnosis. This insurance pays a portion of your income every month. For an employed firefighter, the monthly benefit is 60% of your income up to $5,000. For a volunteer firefighter, the monthly benefit is a flat amount of $1,500.
There are several insurance companies that provide the firefighter cancer benefit. Firefighters are encouraged to talk to their fire chief or human resources department to determine your department’s provider.
Information on where to find information from several providers is listed below:
The Hartford
(Provider of ACCG and GMA program)
VFIS
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