Diagnostic bill passes Senate

3/13/2002

COLUMBUS - The Ohio Senate yesterday unanimously approved a bill requiring the state workers' compensation system to cover the diagnostic testing of firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical workers exposed to blood, saliva, and other bodily fluids during the course of their work.

The bill, which now goes to the House, stems from an incident in Cridersville, Auglaize County, in which an emergency medical technician ended up with a child victim's blood in his mouth. The hospital recommended blood tests, but the state's workers' compensation insurance system denied the claim because the firefighter had not been injured himself.

The fire department paid the testing bills, which exceeded $600.