H.B. 4144 Critical Illness Coverage

COMING SOON: Provided by MetLife/AmWins - TML Risk Pool as Policyholder

Any city or other political subdivision that has at least 50 firefighters or peace officers, respectively, is subject to House Bill 4144 (2025). As a service to Members, the Pool has competitively procured an insurance product that satisfies the bill’s requirements. For Members’ convenience, the Pool serves as a master policy holder for the coverage, which is provided by MetLife and administered by AmWins Group Benefits. This flyer explains more. Read on for further details

H.B. 4144

Last session, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 4144. The bill enacted Texas Government Code, Chapter 607, Subchapter D, which applies to a firefighter or peace officer who retires from a fire department or law enforcement agency with at least 50 firefighters or peace officers, respectively. (Volunteer firefighters count towards the “at least 50” firefighters number. However, each political subdivision must determine whether they are eligible for the benefits required by the bill.)

The bill requires the affected city or other political subdivision to provide a firefighter or peace officer with a “critical illness supplemental income benefit or comparable health benefit plan coverage” if they are diagnosed with one of 11 cancers, a heart attack, or a stroke (as defined in the workers’ compensation disease presumption statute, Texas Government Code Sections 607.055 and 607.056) within three years of retirement.

The amount of the supplemental income benefit is the lesser of the firefighter’s or peace officer’s final yearly salary or $100,0000, whichever is less. Alternatively, the city of other political subdivision may provide comparable health benefit plan coverage. Neither the supplemental income benefit nor the health coverage is a workers’ compensation benefit, which means the Pool cannot provide coverage for them through the workers’ compensation process.

The Solution

As a service to Members, the Pool has competitively procured an insurance product that satisfies the bill’s requirements. For Members’ convenience, the Pool serves as a master policy holder for the coverage, which is provided by MetLife and administered by AmWins Group Benefits.

As opposed to Pool coverages, this is an insurance product that is regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance. To obtain the coverage, a Pool Member:

  1. Is welcome to use its existing benefits broker. For those that don’t have a broker, the Pool recommends using HUB International. To use HUB, please contact Andrew Weegar, Assistance Vice-President, at 214-​708-3700 (mobile) or Andrew.Weegar@hubinternational.com.
  2. Works with AmWins to facilitate the Member’s execution of a new interlocal agreement with the Pool for the sole purpose of participating in the coverage. The Pool’s ONLY role in this process is to approve the interlocal for eligible political subdivisions.
  3. Works with AmWins to provide the necessary information to bind the coverage. This FAQ provides more information, including rates and other requirements. Please contact AmWins directly with questions at 800-313-7008 or texashb4144@amwins.com.

Disclaimer/Questions

As noted above, the Pool procured this product as ONE option for meeting H.B. 4144’s mandate. The bill does NOT require Pool Members to purchase this or any other coverage, but the bill’s mandate could be costly. The Pool encourages an affected Member to review the bill’s requirements with local legal counsel, determine its exposure, and act accordingly.

If your entity has fewer than 50 firefighter or police officers, you may – but are NOT REQUIRED to – provide any of the benefits in the bill or purchase any coverage from any broker.

The Pool serves SOLELY as a policyholder to make the coverage available. Any Member should review the policy carefully prior to binding itself.

A Member’s broker and AmWins are the points of contact for this coverage. If you’d like to confirm the validity of this arrangement or have general questions, please contact Scott Houston – the Pool’s Intergovernmental Relations Director – at scott.houston@tmlirp.org or 512-791-4158 (mobile) or your Risk Management Advisor.