Beginning May 1, 2025, Connecticut will offer free, enhanced cancer screenings to firefighters enrolled in the state employee health plan and Partnership Plan, Governor Ned Lamont and Comptroller Sean Scanlon announced today. The new benefit aims to address the higher cancer risks firefighters face due to frequent exposure to toxic substances on the job.

“Firefighters have high-risk jobs and in the course of their duties are exposed to toxins that can wreak havoc on their health and put them at risk for cancer,” Governor Lamont said. “Expanding the state health plan to provide all firefighters with regular cancer screenings is essential because early detection is key to successful treatment outcomes. I appreciate Comptroller Scanlon for working with our administration to enact this change to the state health plan and provide this benefit for Connecticut’s firefighters.”

More than 900 firefighters will now be eligible to receive a comprehensive, full-body scan every two years. These scans are designed to detect cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages, often before symptoms develop. The initiative reflects growing evidence that firefighters suffer higher rates of cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths compared to the general public.

“When they’re putting their lives on the line every day, the last thing our firefighters should have to worry about is navigating their healthcare,” Comptroller Scanlon said. “That’s why I’m proud that the state health plan I run will now provide our members with the best preventative care and early screenings.”

While the program is expected to cost the state approximately $150,000 annually, officials note that the investment is a fraction of the cost of treating advanced-stage cancer — and could significantly reduce the emotional and financial toll on firefighters, their families, and fire departments.

“Unfortunately, there is growing prevalence of cancer in firefighters, but early detection saves lives, and it saves our families – by blood and by profession – immense grief and hardship,” Peter Brown, president of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, said. “This new healthcare offering is a critical step forward in securing firefighter health and wellbeing.”  

Firefighters seeking more information or looking to schedule an appointment can visit carecompass.ct.gov.