Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announces new pilot program for first responders suffering from service-related trauma

Topeka, Kan. - Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, today, announced that the Kansas Department of Insurance is now accepting reimbursement requests for the HERO Act. The Helping First Responders Overcoming Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or HERO Act, is a pilot program to help emergency responders by providing reimbursement for assessment and treatment of certain psychological conditions resulting from duty-related trauma.

"Our first responders put their lives on the line for us every day, and we owe them in return the same support when they need help," said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. "The HERO Act will help remove a financial barrier for first responders who need vital mental health treatment they may not have been able to receive otherwise."

The HERO Act was established this year by a proviso to the state budget, establishing a fund to be administered by the Department. First responders who meet the requirements may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD), or subclinical syndromes of either disorder as a direct result of a duty-related traumatic event. A million dollars is set aside to be administered through the pilot program to eligible first responders.

"Kansas law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical responders regularly step into situations involving traumatic scenes of human destruction brought about by criminal acts, natural disasters, or accidents," said Ed Klumpp of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas Sheriffs Association, and the Kansas Peace Officers Association. "The HERO act will assist these first responders by providing financial support for professional evaluation and treatment of post-traumatic stress. It is the result of a coordinated response by the legislature, the Kansas Department of Insurance, the Fraternal Order of Police, our associations and other first responder associations to provide positive support for our first responders to manage the emotional challenges they face in serving and protecting their communities."

Information on the eligibility requirements of the program and the reimbursement request forms questions can be found at https://www.insurance.kansas.gov/consumers/hero-act.

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