What's happening
This bill requires health insurance policies in New York to cover scalp cooling treatments that help prevent hair loss during cancer chemotherapy.
Why it matters
Expands access to supportive cancer care. By mandating insurance coverage for scalp cooling, the bill aims to make this treatment available to more cancer patients, addressing a side effect (hair loss) that can cause significant psychological distress and impact quality of life.
Reduces financial barriers for patients. The requirement that co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles for scalp cooling be “at least as favorable” as those for intravenous or injected cancer medications helps ensure that patients are not discouraged from using this supportive therapy due to high out-of-pocket costs.
Recognizes evolving standards of care. By explicitly defining “scalp cooling” and requiring its coverage, the legislation acknowledges growing evidence that such treatments can meaningfully reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss, aligning insurance policy with current medical advances.
Promotes equity in cancer treatment. Including scalp cooling as a covered benefit across all comprehensive health insurance policies in New York reduces disparities in who can access this option, instead of limiting it to those who can afford to pay out-of-pocket.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cover Chemo Hair Protection
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Cover Chemo Hair Loss Devices
In Senate Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Toby Ann Stavisky
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
302
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to providing health insurance coverage for scalp cooling for the preservation of hair during cancer chemotherapy treatment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 12-b to read as follows:
(12-b) (A) Every policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state that provides medical, major medical, or similar comprehensive-type coverage and provides coverage for prescription drugs and also provides coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment shall provide coverage for scalp cooling. Such coverage may be subject to co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles, provided that the co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles are at least as favorable to an insured as the co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles that apply to coverage for intravenous or injected anticancer medications.
(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, "scalp cooling" means any cooling cap, hypothermia cap, cold cap or any other device used as a therapeutic device to cool the human scalp to prevent or reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.
§ 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 12-b to read as follows:
(12-b) (A) Every policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state that provides medical, major medical, or similar comprehensive-type coverage and provides coverage for prescription drugs and also provides coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment shall provide coverage for scalp cooling. Such coverage may be subject to co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles, provided that the co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles are
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02151-01-9
A. 302 2
at least as favorable to an insured as the co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles that apply to coverage for intravenous or injected anticancer medications.
(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, "scalp cooling" means any cooling cap, hypothermia cap, cold cap or any other device used as a therapeutic device to cool the human scalp to prevent or reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.
§ 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (q-2) to read as follows:
(q-2) (1) Every policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state that provides medical, major medical, or similar comprehensive-type coverage and provides coverage for prescription drugs and also provides coverage for cancer chemotherapy treatment shall provide coverage for scalp cooling. Such coverage may be subject to co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles, provided that the co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles are at least as favorable to an insured as the co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles that apply to coverage for intravenous or injected anticancer medications.
(2) For the purposes of this subsection, "scalp cooling" means any cooling cap, hypothermia cap, cold cap or any other device used as a therapeutic device to cool the human scalp to prevent or reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.