Veteran Firefighter Denied Insurance Coverage for Stage 4 Lung Cancer Treatment: ‘I Am Forced to Stand Here and Beg’

A retired San Francisco firefighter says he’s been forced to raise money for treatment after his insurance provider allegedly refused to cover the care his doctors prescribed for his stage 4 lung cancer.

Ken Jones, 70, spent 17 years working for the city. In March 2025, he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer.

Jones told NBC Bay Area he believes the disease is tied to his years on the job. Firefighters face an elevated risk of lung cancer, including adenocarcinoma, because they can inhale carcinogens such as smoke and other toxins released by burning materials, according to the American Lung Association.

After the diagnosis, Jones’ medical team said he needs a specific treatment plan that includes chemotherapy and immunotherapy. But Jones says his insurer, Blue Shield of California, denied coverage — and also denied an appeal submitted by his oncologists.

Blue Shield did not address the specifics of the case, citing patient privacy laws. The insurer said it uses established criteria to determine authorization and encouraged members who have concerns about coverage to contact the plan.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, Jones’ wife, Helen, and daughter, Rachel, spoke at San Francisco City Hall, urging the city’s Health Service Board to intervene. The city negotiates health insurance contracts for public employees, and the board oversees that relationship.

“Today, I am forced to stand here and beg because an insurance company decided that profits matter more than the life of a man who spent his career protecting this city,” Rachel said through tears. “Blue Shield has decided that my father’s life is not worth paying for.”

Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson, a cancer survivor, also spoke in support of the family, saying firefighters shouldn’t have to “beg for their lives.”

“This is not the first firefighter this has happened to, nor will it be the last if something doesn’t change,” she added.

The insurer told NBC Bay Area it values its relationship with San Francisco and said it plans to work with the Health Service Board to address issues raised by members.

Without insurance coverage, Jones’ treatment is expected to cost about $50,000 out of pocket, according to the report.

Helen, who is also a 14-year veteran of the San Francisco Fire Department, told the board the denial is worsening her husband’s condition.

“That denial is causing serious harm to Ken’s health and is now threatening his life,” she said. “He has painful, metastatic tumors in his bones, in his lymph nodes, and soft tissues, as well as tumors in his brain.”

Rachel said her father spent his career taking risks to protect others — and now needs help himself.

“He ran into burning buildings, inhaled toxic smoke, and put his life on the line again and again, so that others could survive,” she said. “Now, when he needs the help the most, the insurance company provided by this city through Blue Shield is denying him the medication his doctors say is necessary to keep him alive.”

The family has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover his treatment costs. The fundraiser has exceeded its original goal, and Jones and his family thanked supporters in a Jan. 10 update.

“Thank you all for your generosity,” they wrote. “We have reached our fundraising goal. We are honored and grateful for your interest and support. We encourage donations to the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Fund.”