The controversial insurance denial involving a veteran firefighter’s cancer treatment has drawn the ire of California Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, D-San Francisco, who has summoned top leaders from Blue Shield of California to meet with her and firefighter advocates on Monday to explain the rationale behind the private insurer’s recent actions.

“I think it’s just reprehensible,” Stefani told the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit. “This firefighter is fighting for his life — he shouldn’t have to fight his insurance company to get the care he needs to prolong his life.”

Stefani said she was angered, frustrated, and saddened to learn Ken Jones, 71, had part of his cancer treatment recently denied by Blue Shield.

Jones, who retired from the San Francisco fire dept. in 2012, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer last year. His physician believes the disease is likely linked to Jones’ 17 years working as a firefighter amid smoke and ash.

Blue Shield, which administered Jones’ Medicare Advantage Plan, said it denied the immunotherapy Jones’ oncologist requested because FDA and Medicare guidelines only allow the treatment when it is used early as a “first-line therapy.” Blue Shield deemed Jones ineligible since he previously underwent other rounds of cancer medication.

“Our hearts go out to individuals and their families who are facing a cancer diagnosis or navigating treatment,” a Blue Shield spokesperson previously wrote in a statement. “We are committed to supporting our members with compassion and working with their doctors to help them access care and resources.”

Jones’ oncologist. Dr. Matthew Gubens, views the immunotherapy he prescribed as a continuation of Jones’ initial treatment since it was never completed. Jones paused his chemo and immunotherapy in order to receive a pair of medical trials. However, when those experimental treatments didn’t deliver the results doctors had hoped, Gubens decided to get Jones back on immunotherapy, which Blue Shield denied.

After receiving Blue Shield’s denial letter, Gubens immediately called the number listed on the insurance document to lodge an appeal. After spending nearly three hours on the phone, however, he says he was never able to reach the appropriate person, so he submitted his appeal in writing, which Blue Shield ultimately denied.

“He couldn’t even get through,” Stefani said. “If he can’t, who can?”

Stefani said she will ask Blue Shield executives to explain how they plan to prevent future patients and physicians from encountering the same problem when trying to phone the company to appeal a denial.

“At the very least, what I want to come out of this meeting … is a promise from Blue Shield to create a [phone] line or to a live person when it involves claims for our firefighters up and down the state,” she said. “If they fight me on it, I’ll legislate it.”

Stefani says her meeting is expected to include the insurance company’s vice president of state govt. affairs Andrew Kiefer, chief medical officer Ravy Kavasary, and lobbyist Alex Tourk. Representatives from San Francisco’s local firefighters union are also expected to attend.

Blue Shield did not immediately respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment regarding Stefani’s upcoming meeting with company leaders, but the company has previously stood by its decision to deny Jones’ immunotherapy, saying it followed FDA and Medicare guidelines.

“They seem to forget there’s a human being involved here that’s very sick and that needs help,” Stefani said. “I just don’t understand why they can’t do better.”

Catch up on our series now

Part 1:

Ken Jones, who spent 17 years as a San Francisco firefighter, is asking government officials to intervene after his city-provided insurance plan declined to approve a new course of treatment Jones’s oncologists believe would help slow down the progression of his stage 4 cancer.

Part 2:

A retired San Francisco firefighter, who spent nearly two decades willingly putting his life on the line for others, now finds himself fighting for survival while in a battle against his own insurance company. Senior Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban reports.

Part 3:

The head of San Francisco’s health oversight board determined Blue Shield acted appropriately in denying immunotherapy to a San Francisco firefighter suffering from Stage 4 cancer. Senior Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban explains why some are angered by the decision and what they perceive as a lackluster investigation by a city official.

Part 4:

Longtime San Francisco firefighter Ken Jones believes he has found a way to receive the cancer treatment previously denied by Blue Shield under his Medicare Advantage plan. Senior Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban explains.

Part 5:

Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) is scheduled to meet with Blue Shield of California executives and their lobbyist on Monday to discuss the high-profile insurance denial of longtime San Francisco firefighter Ken Jones. Senior Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban explains.

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The popular lighting installation along the western span of the Bay Bridge is coming back, with a “grand lighting” event planned for next month.

The lights illuminated the northern side of the span for 10 years until wear-and-tear led to their removal in 2023.

The new installation was created by light artist Leo Villareal, organized by San Francisco-based nonprofit Illuminate and engineered and fabricated by Musco Lighting.

“The Bay Lights” features 48,000 LEDs built to withstand the bridge’s “demanding marine environment,” according to organizers.

“They’re a reminder that beauty can live at the scale of infrastructure — and that awe can be part of a city’s identity,” said Ben Davis, founder of Illuminate.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called the lights “an iconic symbol of San Francisco and the entire Bay Area.”

The March 20 lighting event will debut the north-facing installation and a second phase of the project — which will be visible from other parts of the region — is planned for a future date.

The $11 million project was funded entirely through private donations, with more than 1,300 people contributing to the effort, organizers said Thursday.

San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood could soon be back on “center stage.”

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood Thursday announced a proposal to create a new theater arts district along a portion of Market Street.

The proposal would create a vibrant destination in a neighborhood that’s had a history of struggles.

The supervisor says this idea is a multi-pronged approach; that includes upgrades that people would not only see, but also experience.

At Oxford Street Clothing Store, the owners have seen the ups and downs along mid-Market street over the decades.

“Market used to be alive, now it’s different. No traffic, no people want to come down,” Nahil Hanhan said.

She points to concerns they’ve heard through the years including drug activity, but say things seem to be moving in the right direction.

“It’s improving but it needs more,” Hanhan said.

The corridor is home to iconic theaters and music venues. Thursday, Supervisor Bilal Mahood announced a proposal for a Theater Arts district on Market from 5th to 9th Street.

“The idea basically is that if you walk down Market Street, it is the economic engine of for the city arts and culture, now there is a lot of focus on downtown and office and tech, but really not enough focus on the arts and culture which has been the beating heart of our city for so long,” Mahmood said.

He says already a million visitors a year come into the city to visit theaters, laying the groundwork for economic growth and the proposal would bring public enhancements.

“So imagine art-filled crosswalks that actually feature your favorite plays and musicals, interactive imagery and lighting and led lighting and billboards that actually indicate with San Francisco character,” Mahmood said.

This folds in with city small business investments and work on public safety, like increased foot patrols. He says UN plaza is an example of strides being made.

“Through a combination of public safety, enhancement and ambassadors. And turning it into a skatepark and an area where people would gather and changing the physical architecture of the block, we don’t see the open air drug market anymore,” Mahmood said.

“We would love to see the neighborhood get this kind of catalytic treatment that could really continue to foster the economic revitalization that we see happening here and across the broader downtown,” said Fernando Pujals, executive director with the Mid Market Business Association.

The proposal would run about $5 million, and Mahmood says they’re looking to privately fundraise. The initial pilot would run about $1 million.