By Bob Katzen

House 153-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill mandating free insurance coverage of cancer screenings for firefighters. The firefighters would not be subject to co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or any out-of-pocket expenses.

The screenings would cover colon, lung, bladder, oral, thyroid, skin, blood, breast, cervical, testicular and prostate cancers. The measure provides that the first screening would be conducted no later than three years after the firefighter starts the job, with subsequent screenings happening every three years.

Supporters said that firefighters are more likely to get cancer than the general public and argued that these heroes need and must have early and regular access to life-saving cancer screenings. They noted that the Occupational Cancer Research Centre attributes higher rates of sickness to greater exposure to cancer-causing hazards through inhalation of smoke, combustion by-productions and forever chemicals (PFAS) used in fire protection gear.

Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown), House chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing and the sponsor of the original version of the proposal, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him why he sponsored the measure.

(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)

Rep. Christine Barber Yes Rep. Mike Connolly Yes Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven Yes