{"id":12538,"date":"2026-06-04T19:33:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=12538"},"modified":"2026-06-04T19:33:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:33:02","slug":"retired-san-francisco-firefighter-dies-after-cancer-treatment-denied","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=12538","title":{"rendered":"Retired San Francisco firefighter dies after cancer treatment denied"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Health insurance giant Blue Shield is under fire for denying claims of life-saving treatment for a retired San Francisco firefighter who recently died from lung cancer.<\/p>\n<p>Ken Jones, who was in a bitter insurance fight that caught the attention of local outlets, died Saturday at 71 more than a year into his stage four cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe, wholeheartedly, that they expedited his death,\u201d Jeanine Nicholson, the former chief of the San Francisco Fire Department and a friend, told NBC Bay Area. \u201cThey should be ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ken Jones, who was in a bitter insurance fight that caught the attention of local outlets, died Saturday at 71. <span class=\"credit\">GoFundMe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Jones was a retired San Francisco firefighter who battled lung cancer. <span class=\"credit\">Facebook\/Ken Jones<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jones spent 17 years in service, and Blue Shield is one of three insurance companies contracted by San Francisco at a cost of more than $1 billion. According to San Francisco\u2019s Health Service Board, about 5,000 city employees and retirees are insured by Blue Shield.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>But Jones had to go to the city for help in January when Blue Shield denied coverage of some of his recommended treatments.<\/p>\n<p>His pleas prompted public outcry and led members of San Francisco\u2019s Board of Supervisors to summon top leaders at the insurance company to grill them on their claims approval process.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Shield repeatedly argued that in Jones\u2019 situation, the denials were due to medical guidelines that did not support the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy Jones\u2019 oncologist requested.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Shield is \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d to learn of Jones\u2019 passing, it said in a statement to NBC. The insurance giant will reportedly be in talks with firefighters\u2019 union leaders and other advocates about potential reforms.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Matthew Gubens, the oncologist, has claimed Blue Shield\u2019s interpretation is wrong. He tried to appeal the claim denial in writing but was denied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s gray area in medicine,\u201d he\u00a0had told NBC Bay Area.\u00a0\u201cThe time spent trying to get approval of a regimen that I requested, [Ken] lost ground \u2013 tumors are growing, pain is increasing, his appetite is going down.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><figcaption>Jones is pictured with his wife. <span class=\"credit\">Facebook\/Ken Jones<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Blue Shield denied coverage of some of his recommended treatments. <span class=\"credit\">Blue Shield of California<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>City supervisors have said they will bring back Blue Shield to get an update on any efforts to implement reforms.<\/p>\n<p>After the public attention in January, Blue Shield did eventually figure out a different but incomplete plan that it would cover, Helen Horvath, Jones\u2019 wife, told ABC7. <\/p>\n<p>But his passing, which may have been prevented with more timely care, is something that can\u2019t be reversed, Jones\u2019 friends said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to hold insurance companies accountable for their actions,\u201d Nicholson said. \u201cThey are in the business of making money. They are not always in the business of giving people the best care or the care that they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>California Post News<\/strong>: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn<br \/><strong>California Post Sports<\/strong> Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X<br \/><strong>California Post  <\/strong>Opinion <br \/><strong>California Post Newsletters<\/strong>: Sign up here!<br \/><strong>California Post App<\/strong>: Download here!<br \/><strong>Home delivery<\/strong>: Sign up here!<br \/><strong>Page Six Hollywood<\/strong>: Sign up here!<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; 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