SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A San Francisco firefighter has died after a battle with stage 4 lung cancer, prompting renewed calls for changes to health insurance coverage for city employees and retirees.
Firefighter Ken Jones died over the weekend, following what colleagues described as a prolonged struggle to secure treatment, after his care was denied by the city’s designated insurance provider, Blue Shield.
Advocates say delays in treatment contributed to his death.
“All these delays, I mean, definitely he met his demise. I mean, it’s shortened his life. Just terrible,” said Fred Sanchez of the watchdog group Protect Our Benefits.
Jones’ case drew attention in January, when his family and fellow firefighters urged San Francisco’s Health Service Board to intervene after Blue Shield denied his recommended cancer treatment. Jones expressed concern for others facing similar challenges.
“He said, ‘Hey, I know it’s probably too late for me, but I don’t ever want to see this happen to the firefighters ever again in the future,'” Sanchez said.
Jones’ case has since led to some changes. In May, Blue Shield committed to assigning a dedicated care manager to assist with complex claims like Jones’.
On Monday, Protect Our Benefits — which represents about 41,000 San Francisco retired employees, including firefighters — planned to meet with Blue Shield to seek updates and push for additional reforms.
“We are asking for updates. As you know, they are starting to put certain things in process. Like they said, they were going to put a doctor involved to try to monitor these cases. But it’s a slow process — too slow,” Sanchez said.
According to the San Francisco Health Service Board, about 5,000 city employees and retirees are insured by Blue Shield. Sanchez said he is aware of at least 10 firefighters who are currently struggling with coverage issues.