By Laura French
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has signed a bill that provides benefits to firefighters diagnosed with certain cancers.
The Firefighter Cancer Health Care Benefit Plan signed into law on Tuesday will provide a one-time payment of $20,000 to firefighters diagnosed with any cancer listed in the bill, such as lung cancer or breast cancer. The bill will also provide $12,000 per year for the firefighters’ out-of-pocket medical expenses and $75,000 to the family of a firefighter who dies from one of the listed cancers.
“This is great news to all Firefighters in South Carolina!” Midway Fire Rescue wrote in a statement on Facebook. “We can’t thank the firefighter cancer coalition, senators, representatives and Governor Henry McMaster for all their hard work. We also can’t thank everyone enough, the citizens and firefighters that supported the bill from the beginning.”
Midway Fire Chief Doug Eggiman said the department has been advocating for the bill for years. The bill passed the state Senate earlier this year and passed in the state House last week.
“We have one more hurdle later this year which will be funding,” the Midway Fire Rescue statement concluded.
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