How blue family survivors closed a gap in insurance coverage years after March 22 tragedy - WSAW

MARATHON COUNTY, Wis. (WSAW) – Health insurance is crucial to have, especially if you have a young family.

“Raising healthy kids and wanting to make sure that you can do the best for them is to also make sure you have resources available,” said Kara Weiland, widow of Everest Metro Police Det. Jason Weiland.

But when you unexpectedly lose the person who carried the health insurance, the last thing on your mind is trying to get all that paperwork in order.

“You are really just trying to get by day to day,” Kara said. “And then you have all these options thrown at you, and you just want the easy option of having something remain the same.”

When her husband was killed in the line of duty on March 22, 2017, Kara noticed a loophole that existed in the law. At that time, health insurance premiums were covered by municipalities for families of fallen firefighters, but not for law enforcement.

“So I was asked to speak with two other spouses, and really work to make sure they were aware of that gap,” Kara said.

In September 2019, Kara found herself in front of a crowded legislature in Madison, hoping her words would make a difference for other blue families, and give them peace of mind. Less than a month later, it was signed into law.

“A blue family is truly a thing. We really look out for one another, and I think we all knew the importance of having something done, and I knew that if somebody was put in my position, I didn’t want them to have the same hurdles I had,” Kara added.

She recently reached out to the legislature to see if there have been any issues with the law since it passed. There hasn’t. But Kara said in this case, no news is good news.

“That’s how we’re looking at it. Hopefully, it’s one of these things, that now that it’s in place, there’s not a lot of other tape to figure out and it’s going smoothly.”

Under the police and fire insurance law, spouses will be covered until the age of 65 and children will be covered through age 26. It covers departments on the state and local levels, as well as within the University of Wisconsin system and Marquette University.