A former Marion County firefighter who is now fighting cancer is also battling for benefits to help pay for his treatment.
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Channel 9 learned from court records why the county refuses to approve his benefits despite a new state law passed five years ago.
Phillip Shinn’s work as a Marion County firefighter was a badge of honor until he retired in 2016.
Six years after he retired, in 2022, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
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He thought he was covered by this law passed in 2019, which provides benefits firefighters as an alternative to pursuing workers’ compensation.
“The law was pretty clear that you would be entitled to these benefits,” Shinn said. “This is not about wealth; this is about peace of mind as we all know, cancer treatments are expensive.”
But the county doesn’t see it that way, citing case law of other firefighters trying to make the same claim.