Maryland firefighters now get free cancer screenings — no copays, no deductibles

Maryland signs a new law for firefighters

Maryland’s James “Jimmy” Malone Act took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, requiring counties with self-insured health plans to cover preventive cancer screenings for professional firefighters at no cost. No copays, no deductibles, no coinsurance.

Gov. Wes Moore signed the law on May 20, 2025.

Screenings must follow guidelines from the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the law also requires private insurers and HMOs in Maryland to cover the same benefits.

Law covers career firefighters, not volunteers

The law applies to career firefighters employed by counties that run self-insured health plans. It also extends to firefighters covered by private insurers and HMOs in Maryland.

Volunteer firefighters are not included. Some counties, like Howard County, already offer cancer screenings to their operational volunteers on their own, but the new law does not require it.

That gap in coverage has drawn attention from advocates who want broader protections for all firefighters in the state.

Ten types of cancer screenings are covered

According to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, the law covers screenings for 10 types of cancer: bladder, breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, oral, prostate, skin, testicular, and thyroid.

Which screenings a firefighter gets depends on age, risk factors, and years of service.

Counties can meet the requirement with a no-cost annual exam or by applying for a state grant to pay for more advanced tools, including multi-cancer early detection blood tests.

Who was Jimmy Malone?

James “Jimmy” Malone Jr. spent decades serving Maryland, both in the firehouse and in the statehouse.

He retired as a lieutenant from Baltimore County Fire in 2007 and was a lifetime member and past president of the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Company.

From 1995 to 2014, he served as a Maryland state delegate representing Baltimore and Howard counties, where he pushed for highway safety and firefighter protections. His career bridged two forms of public service.

Malone died of brain cancer in Dec. 2024

Malone was a leukemia survivor. He later developed brain cancer and died on Dec. 16, 2024, at age 67, at his home in Havre de Grace, Md. State Sen. Clarence Lam, a co-sponsor of the bill, said firefighters face exposure to chemicals that lead to higher rates of cancer and other serious health problems.

The law now carrying Malone’s name is a direct response to the occupational risks he and thousands of other firefighters lived with throughout their careers.

Global health experts rank firefighting as the top cancer risk

In 2022, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified firefighting as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest possible classification.

That puts firefighting in the same cancer-risk category as tobacco and benzene. Firefighters absorb toxic chemicals from smoke, soot, and burning synthetic materials during fires.

Those substances can be inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin, even when wearing full protective gear.

The Maryland General Assembly’s official enrolled bill text for the Malone Act reflects this science directly.

A major study backed up the risk in 2025

In July 2025, the American Cancer Society published research in the International Journal of Epidemiology that followed more than 470,000 men over 36 years.

Firefighters had a 58% higher rate of death from skin cancer compared to workers in other fields. Their risk of dying from kidney cancer ran 40% higher.

The study also found suggestive links between more years of firefighting service and higher rates of prostate and colorectal cancer deaths.

The American Cancer Society press release on firefighter cancer mortality confirmed the findings publicly.

Maryland will track results and study expansion

Counties must collect screening data for 2026 and 2027 and report it to the Maryland Health Care Commission by June 1 of the following year.

The commission must then study whether to extend the screening requirement to the broader commercial insurance market. Its report is due to the General Assembly by Dec. 1, 2028.

That process could eventually bring coverage to firefighters not currently included under the law, including those covered by commercial plans.

Volunteer firefighters remain uncovered

Volunteer firefighters make up a large share of Maryland’s fire service, but the Malone Act does not cover them. Research shows they have lower screening rates than career firefighters.

A 2024 study found that only about 52% of eligible volunteer firefighters received colon cancer screenings, and about 49% received prostate cancer screenings. Only 26% got skin cancer screenings.

Advocates say those numbers show the need for wider protections, but no state requirement currently fills that gap.

Other states are passing similar laws

Maryland is not alone. Texas passed the Wade Cannon Act in May 2025, requiring free cancer screenings for firefighters starting in June 2026.

Nevada passed similar legislation in July 2025, covering both career and volunteer firefighters starting in July 2026.

Connecticut expanded its state health plan in May 2025 to include free full-body cancer scans for firefighters every two years.

Each of these laws reflects a growing push across the country to address firefighter cancer through early detection rather than late-stage treatment.

Congress is working on a federal version

In February 2025, members of Congress reintroduced the bipartisan FIRE Cancer Act. The bill would expand federal grants so that fire departments can fund cancer screening programs.

It would also create a joint research program between FEMA and the CDC to study cancer trends among firefighters nationwide.

The bill’s sponsors said cancer caused 80% of professional firefighter line-of-duty deaths in 2025.

The U.S. Congress bill text for the Federal Firefighter Cancer Detection and Prevention Act of 2025 outlines the full scope of what the legislation would do. As of early 2026, the bill has not passed.

Maryland firefighters can now get screened for free

Maryland career firefighters covered by the law can now schedule annual cancer screenings at no personal cost. The law also builds a data foundation that could lead to expanded coverage down the road.

Supporters of the bill say early detection could reduce long-term treatment costs for both firefighters and the counties that employ them.

The Maryland General Assembly passed the Malone Act during its 2025 session, and the law has been in effect since Jan. 1, 2026.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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