Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Firefighters press lawmakers to clarify compensation rule for hypertension after denials at commission
Summary
Firefighters told the House Economic Matters Committee that Workers' Compensation Commission interpretations of "disablement" have blocked compensation claims for hypertension and urged passage of House Bill 217 to clarify the standard.
Representatives of Maryland's career and volunteer fire services urged the House Economic Matters Committee to pass House Bill 217, which would revise the statutory presumption that hypertension among firefighters is an occupational disease so that qualifying elevated blood pressure and treatment would meet the law's disablement requirement for compensation.
"Hypertension affects about three out of four first responders," said Dale Bowen of the Maryland State Firefighters Association, noting that cardiovascular disease accounts for a large share of line-of-duty…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
