A retired San Francisco firefighter arrived at a cancer treatment center ready to begin chemotherapy, only to learn his insurance company had rejected coverage at the last moment.

Ken Jones, 70, was preparing to receive treatment at UCSF on Jan. 7 when his doctor discovered Blue Shield of California refused to pay for the prescribed therapy, Mission Local reported. Jones served 17 years with the San Francisco Fire Department and was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer in March 2025. (RELATED: Scott Adams Says There’s ‘Very Good Chance’ His Appeal For Trump’s Help With Cancer Treatment Saved His Life)

The following day, Jones attended a San Francisco Health Service Board meeting where his family pleaded for city intervention. His daughter Rachel Jones addressed the board about the insurance denial.

For 17 years, Ken Jones battled fires in San Francisco. Now, he’s fighting Blue Shield of California. https://t.co/5wui5jt5K5

— Firehouse News (@FirehouseNews) January 12, 2026

Helen Horvath, Jones’ wife and a 14-year veteran of the fire department, said her husband needs the treatment to slow his cancer’s progression, according to Mission Local.

Blue Shield would require the family to pay roughly $50,000 out of pocket for the medication, NBC Bay Area reported. The insurance company denied the claim because Jones had already received other cancer treatments and deemed the proposed therapy outside standard care protocols.

Jones suffers from a specific type of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma, with tumors spreading to his bones, lymph nodes, soft tissues and brain.

Dr. Matthew Gubens, an oncologist at UCSF, filed a written appeal explaining the treatment plan he created for Jones, but Blue Shield maintained its denial, Mission Local reported.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who sits on the health board, promised to question Blue Shield about its practices. “I lost my own mother to lung cancer, and she raised a son who was going to fight, to make sure that people get this care that they’re entitled to,” Dorsey said.

More than 400 San Francisco firefighters have died from cancer since 2006, according to the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, SFist reported. California law automatically presumes firefighter cancer diagnoses are job-related.

A GoFundMe campaign for Jones reached its $50,000 goal over the weekend.