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BELOIT (WKOW) – The widow of a Beloit Police officer says while she continues to cope with her husband’s death from COVID-19, she’s struggling physically and financially after city officials terminated her health insurance.
“I became aware the day of his funeral,” Bridgett Daly tells 27 News of when she was informed she could no longer receive health insurance through her husband Officer Daniel Daly’s policy. “The day of his funeral, I no more got home and an hour later I got served the papers,” she says.
Daniel Daley, 48, died November 15. Daly served twenty-four years as an officer with the Beloit Police Department. Bridgett Daly says her husband worked shifts until what began as flu-like symptoms escalated into serious breathing problems and he was hospitalized.
After Bridgett Daly’s health insurance was terminated, she says she could not afford the premiums and co-pays of COBRA continuation insurance.
Daly tells 27 News before her husband’s death, she left her job due to deteriorating health.
“I have numerous forms of arthritis,” Daly tells 27 News. ” I have lymph node swelling on the whole left side of my body,” she says. “I had to go back to work to pay for my medical prescriptions.”
Daly says her job as part of wait-staff requires her to be on her feet. She says her health conditions limit her to part time work and she fails to qualify for health insurance. “When you’re standing four hours at a time, it’s very hard,” Daly says.
Daly is poised to sue Beloit city officials over the termination of the health insurance she used through her husband’s employment. A Notice of Claim filed with the city in February by her attorney, Bryan Whitehead, argues the manner of Daniel Daly’s death entitles Bridgett Daly to continuing health insurance benefits.
Whitehead says a Wisconsin statute “…requires the city to continue to pay healthcare benefits for the surviving spouse of a law enforcement officer who dies in the line of duty.”
“Officer Daly died as a direct result of the Covid-19 virus that he contracted while on duty,” Whitehead says in the claim.
“Federal law presumes that an officer’s death from COVID-19 is duty-related if the officer’s diagnosis was within 45 days of active service,” says Wisconsin Professional Police Association Executive Director Jim Palmer. “The city’s tactic of essentially forcing Officer Daly’s wife to prove that direct and proximate causation appears objectively cruel and unreasonable,” Palmer says.
A news release on an executive order from Governor Evers also states Daly’s death was in the line of duty.
“Gov. Tony Evers…signed Executive Order #142 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Wed., Nov. 24, 2021, in honor of Officer Daniel J. “Dan” Daly of Beloit, who lost his life in the line of duty due to complications from contracting COVID-19,” the release states.
But Beloit’s city manager disputes the classification of Daly’s death.
“The passing of Officer Dan Daly was a tragic loss for his family, friends and the Beloit Police Department,” Lori Curtis Luther offers in a statement. “Officer Daly’s family has been provided all of the benefits that are afforded to a city employee who happens to pass away while employed by the City of Beloit, including how to continue health insurance benefits under federal law.”
“The City of Beloit’s position is that the documented evidence in this unfortunate death does not support a finding of a ‘line of duty death’ classification as stated in the claim,” Luther says.
Luther offers no specifics on the city’s evidence. But a source with knowledge of this situation maintains at least a portion of the evidence involves Daniel Daly’s suspected attendance at a “super-spreader” concert event prior to his COVID-19 illness. Bridgett Daly maintains her husband did not attend the concert.
Daly says she draws inspiration in her attempt to regain city-sponsored health insurance from her husband’s long police career and dedication to his work.
“I mourn him every day,” Daly says. “It’s very hard not to.”
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