Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill granting benefits to fire fighters who develop cancer, making Florida the 47th state to recognize the disease as an occupational injury.
The law provides full coverage for cancer, including disability and death benefits and recognizes 21 cancers as linked to firefighting. The coverage will be provided, not through a workers’ compensation claim as in many other states, but instead through an employer-provided group health plan. The coverage includes a one-time, lump-sum payment of $25,000 to fire fighters upon a cancer diagnosis.
