Firefighter cancer presumption in Arizona
After 5 years of service, Arizona presumes the job caused any of 17 listed cancers.
Law used here: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 23-901.09. Workers' comp claims use this law.
Presumed means the law assumes your job caused the cancer, so your employer has to show it came from something else. Workers' comp (workers' compensation) is the insurance that pays medical bills and part of your lost pay when work makes you sick.
Conditions under Arizona's law
- Your service lasted at least 5 years.
- This doesn't cover volunteers. To be covered, you must work full-time as a firefighter or a fire investigator.
- Your cancer has to be on the list, and it must lead to disability or death.
- Before you were hired, you must have passed a physical exam that showed no sign of cancer.
- Unless you're a fire investigator, many listed cancers also require an exam that reasonably matches NFPA 1582.
- Once you've left, a diagnosis must come no more than 15 years after your last day, and you can't be older than 65.
Your employer is free to argue a different cause, but strong proof of that specific cause is required.
Call about your Arizona claim
Questions about your diagnosis, your service record or your deadline go to the claims line: +1 833 853 0496
Cancers Arizona covers
| Cancer | Covered in Arizona? |
|---|---|
| Bladder cancer | Yes |
| Brain cancer | Yes |
| Breast cancer | Yes |
| Colon or rectal cancer | Yes |
| Esophagus cancer | Yes |
| Kidney cancer | Yes |
| Leukemia | Yes |
| Lung cancer | Yes |
| Multiple myeloma | Yes |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | Yes |
| Prostate cancer | Yes |
| Skin cancer, melanoma included | Yes |
| Stomach cancer | Yes |
| Testicular cancer | Yes |
| MesotheliomaThe list only covers mesothelioma in the lining around the lungs (respiratory tract) | Partly |
| Cancer of the ovary, cervix or uterusOnly ovarian cancer is on the list, and firefighters also need a medical exam under NFPA 1582 | Partly |
| Cancer of the throat or mouthThe listing covers the mouth and throat, meaning the buccal cavity and pharynx, and nothing else. The voice box isn't included | Partly |
| Liver cancer | Not named |
| Pancreatic cancer | Not named |
| Thyroid cancer | Not named |
You can still put a cancer labeled "Not named" in a workers' comp claim, but a doctor must connect it to your work.
How does a firefighter file a cancer claim through workers' comp in Arizona?
- Put it in writing to your department: you have cancer and you believe the job caused it. Save a copy for yourself.
- Submit your claim to the Industrial Commission of Arizona or to the insurer your employer uses, and name the law that applies (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 23-901.09) on your form.
- Put together your diagnosis, your hire date and service dates, any results from physical exams, and records of your fires and exposures.
- Start soon. Workers' comp claims have time limits for telling your employer and for filing, and some are short.