For over 20 years, Minnesota has provided a vital safety net for police officers and firefighters forced into early retirement due to line-of-duty injuries. These benefits aren’t optional—they’re often the only way injured first responders can access critical medical care. SF3412 threatens to take that away.
A bill recently introduced in the Minnesota Legislature—SF3412—is causing serious concern among police officers and firefighters. Currently, under Minnesota Statutes § 299A.465, duty-disabled first responders receive continued health insurance coverage through age 65. SF3412 proposes cutting that coverage to just three years—a dramatic rollback that would leave many vulnerable.
Major Concerns with SF3412
1. No Exception for Permanently and Total Disability
SF3412 does not make an exception for those who are permanently and totally disabled—officers and firefighters who can never return to any form of employment. These individuals face a lifetime of medical needs and uncertain finances. Reducing their health insurance coverage to three years is not just unfair—it’s dangerous.
2. Unclear Impact on Current Recipients
The bill also fails to clarify whether it applies only to new injuries or whether it would apply retroactively to those already receiving benefits. If SF3412 is interpreted to apply retroactively, it could take away insurance from individuals who depend on this coverage today—people who were injured years ago and made long-term plans based on the benefits they were promised.
3. Unrealistic Assumptions About Legal Waivers
SF3412 bars first responders from waiving their 299A health insurance benefits through settlements but ignores the fact that often these benefits are not waived voluntarily—but out of financial necessity.
When an employer disputes a responder’s eligibility, the individual must fight the denial in court, a costly and emotionally exhausting process that many simply can’t afford. Unlike other areas of law, when an employer disputes a first responder’s eligibility for 299A benefits, the responder must pay the State of Minnesota tens-of-thousands of dollars in court costs to hear the case. Without the resources to fight back, they’re forced to settle—and give up their benefits.
The bill allows employers to challenge these benefits but prevents first responders from resolving those challenges through settlement. This traps first responders between defending their rights in court or walking away from the health coverage they need.
“That Won’t Happen to Me…”
Perhaps the most disheartening part of this discussion is the silence from some active-duty first responders. Many believe, “That will never happen to me.”
But it does. It happens to the firefighter whose career ends after multiple knee surgeries and a total knee replacement. It happens to the officer shot in the line of duty, who will never work again. No one plans for a career-ending injury—but it happens more often than people think. And when it does, first responders need access to health insurance.
Now is not the time to dismantle support for Minnesota’s injured heroes. These men and women put their lives on the line for our communities. The least we can do is fight to protect them when their careers—and livelihoods—are cut short. …
Share this post to show your support for our first responder community!
*Inquiries about SF3412 should be directed to your local unions and legislators. *
