Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill requiring private health insurers to cover scalp cooling systems for chemotherapy patients starting January 1, 2026. New York becomes the first state in the U.S. to implement such legislation, following the unanimous passage of Assembly Bill A38-A/S2063-A.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and Senator Toby Stavitsky, ensures coverage for scalp cooling systems like Dignitana’s DigniCap, currently used in over 20 cancer centers statewide. The law aims to make this therapy more accessible by removing financial barriers for patients and providing fair reimbursement to healthcare providers.
Dignitana CEO Fredrik Jonsson called the bill a “victory” for both patients and providers, emphasizing its potential to influence insurance policies in other states. The legislation follows a recent AMA decision to upgrade scalp cooling reimbursement codes, further supporting the therapy’s acceptance.
The new law mandates that policies offering cancer treatment coverage must include scalp cooling, though deductibles and copayments may apply. This move comes at a critical time, as breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers in New York, with over 16,700 new diagnoses annually.
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