If you are a police officer or firefighter injured in the line of duty, you and your family may be entitled to health insurance coverage through your employer through the age of 65. The legislature through Minnesota Statutes § 299A.465 sets forth that if a police officer or firefighter cannot perform the normal duties of the position for at least twelve months due to an injury that was the result of the performance of inherently dangerous duties specific to police or firework, the police officer or firefighter is entitled to continued health insurance benefits. This eligibility standard is identical to the PERA Duty Disability eligibility standard, and is a huge financial benefit to police officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty.

What benefits does Minnesota Statutes § 299A.465 provide for duty disabled officers?

Minnesota Statutes § 299A.465 provides duty disabled police officers, firefighters and their dependents with health insurance coverage through their former employer through the age of 65. The employer must continue to pay its share of the duty disabled officer or firefighter’s health insurance premiums, as if he or she continued to work as an employee. To qualify for continued health insurance benefits under § 299A.465 the injured police officer or firefighter must have been approved for Duty Disability benefits under Minnesota Statutes § 353.01, subd. 41. This statute provides that a police officer or firefighter is eligible for benefits if he or she has a condition that is expected to prevent him or her, for a period of not less than 12 months, from performing the normal duties of the position and the condition is the direct result of an injury incurred during the performance of inherently dangerous duties that are specific to the positions covered (i.e., the positions of police officer or firefighter).

We are pleased to share that Ron Meuser, Jennifer Yackley, Mary Beth Boyce and Ashley Biermann of Meuser Law Office, P.A. were invited recently to speak to the City of Burnsville police officers, firefighters and HR Generalists. Ron and his team of experienced attorneys were asked to educate the group of first responders and HR Generalists on the basics of PERA disability, Minnesota work comp, as well as other benefits available in the event an injury occurs in the line of duty.

Once combined, Burnsville’s police and fire departments have been operating since 1981 as individual units with the shared commitment to the preservation of life, safety and protection of property for the city’s residents, business owners, and visitors. Although highly trained in safety measures to not only keep the public safe, but also the city’s first responders as well, injuries do occur. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, police officers are four times more likely to be injured on the job than other occupations. The types of injuries to firefighters, such as cancer, are growing as well according to the National Fire Protection Agencies. The City of Burnsville understands the increased danger the police officers and firefighters face each day and want to ensure their first responders know what steps to take when an injury happens to ensure they receive the full benefits they are entitled, including continuation of health insurance and PTSD.

Meuser Law Office, P.A. has proudly and successfully represented hundreds of police officers and firefighters throughout the state of Minnesota for PERA disability and workers’ compensation claims for in-the-line-of-duty injuries.

Coordinating all the different types of benefits available to injured police officers and firefighters is complicated. It’s easy to make mistakes, and those mistakes can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. One of the most common mistakes we see is when an individual applies for the wrong type of PERA Police and Fire Plan Benefit.

In addition to retirement benefits, Minnesota police officers and firefighters who are disabled from performing their regular duties may be eligible for a variety of different types of disability benefits, including:

• regular disability
• duty disability
• permanent and total regular disability
• permanent and total duty disability