Firefighter cancer presumption in Wisconsin
After 10 years of service, Wisconsin presumes 17 cancers are job-related.
This rule comes from Wis. Stat. § 891.455. It applies to firefighter pension benefits, duty disability, and death benefits.
Presumed means the law assumes your job caused the cancer, so your employer has to show it came from something else. Wisconsin's cancer law is separate from workers' comp, which is the insurance that pays medical bills and lost pay when work makes you sick.
Conditions under Wisconsin's law
- Your service lasted at least 10 years.
- Your disability or death must be traced back to the cancer.
- Before you became a firefighter, a medical exam must have shown no sign of cancer.
- If you're a municipal firefighter who smokes cigarettes, this rule can't be used for a cancer caused by smoking.
- If some of your duties were not fire duties, you must have given fire work at least two-thirds of your time on the job.
Call about your Wisconsin claim
Questions about your diagnosis, your service record or your deadline go to the claims line: +1 833 853 0496
Cancers Wisconsin covers
| Cancer | Covered in Wisconsin? |
|---|---|
| Bladder cancer | Yes |
| Brain cancer | Yes |
| Breast cancer | Yes |
| Colon or rectal cancer | Yes |
| Esophagus cancer | Yes |
| Kidney cancer | Yes |
| Leukemia | Yes |
| Liver cancer | Yes |
| Multiple myeloma | Yes |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | Yes |
| Ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer | Yes |
| Pancreatic cancer | Yes |
| Prostate cancer | Yes |
| Skin cancer, melanoma included | Yes |
| Stomach cancer | Yes |
| Testicular cancer | Yes |
| Throat or mouth cancer | Yes |
| Lung cancer | Not named |
| Mesothelioma | Not named |
| Thyroid cancer | Not named |
Even a cancer labeled "Not named" can be part of a workers' comp claim, but a doctor must tie it to your job.
In Wisconsin, how do you file a claim as a firefighter with cancer?
- To learn how to apply for firefighter pension benefits, duty disability or death benefits, speak with your department or the board it uses for pensions and benefits, and mention the law (Wis. Stat. § 891.455). That board is the office that decides retirement and disability pay for your department.
- You can also file a workers' comp claim, which is a second claim with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Worker's Compensation Division. Wisconsin's cancer law does not help with that one, so your doctor has to say in writing that your work caused the cancer.
- Collect these items: your diagnosis, your fire and exposure records, any physical exam results, plus the dates of your hire and service.
- Try to start soon, because time limits apply. Ask your department or the board how long you have to apply. A workers' comp claim has its own deadlines.
Look up another cancer · See the states that list each cancer