New health care laws aimed at increasing affordability and access to treatment will take effect in New York on January 1, 2026. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the new regulations require health insurers to cover medically necessary EpiPens, breast cancer screening and imaging, and scalp cooling systems for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
According to Governor Hochul, “New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table or being able to afford life-saving medical devices and procedures. With these new laws going into effect, individuals will be able to focus on their health and wellbeing without having to worry about the financial burdens tied to treatments.”
The legislation addressing EpiPen coverage comes after years of rising costs for the device used in treating severe allergic reactions. Prices have increased by as much as 600 percent since 2007, with a two-pack now costing over $600. The law requires individual and group market insurers—including non-profit plans and HMOs—to cover medically necessary EpiPens for emergency allergic reactions. Out-of-pocket costs for this coverage are capped at $100 per year.
In addition, insurance plans must expand coverage for breast cancer screening and diagnostic imaging when recommended by a physician according to nationally recognized guidelines. These services include mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs. The law also limits cost-sharing requirements so that patients are not financially burdened except in cases where it would affect eligibility for health savings accounts under IRS rules.
The legislation further mandates that large group insurers provide coverage for scalp cooling systems during chemotherapy treatment. Scalp cooling is already covered by Medicaid and Medicare but previously required out-of-pocket payments ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 per round of chemotherapy if not insured. The FDA has approved three such systems designed to help reduce hair loss among patients receiving chemotherapy.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky commented on her advocacy efforts: “I introduced the scalp cooling bill year after year, and it really hit home for me personally in 2023 when my daughter-in-law, Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Preserving hair during chemotherapy treatment is essential and helps them hold onto a sense of identity and normalcy as a person, not a cancer patient. I want to thank Governor Hochul, Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, the advocates, and staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who helped bring this to reality. This landmark, first-in-the-nation law has been a long time coming.”
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal said: “I am thrilled that the law I sponsored mandating insurance coverage for scalp-cooling devices that preserve the hair of those undergoing chemotherapy is now in effect. Cancer treatment must address the whole person, and by giving people access to hair preservation systems, we allow them the privacy to tackle their illness on their own terms, free of obvious signs of chemotherapy. This first-in-the-nation measure restores dignity and lessens the burden carried by New Yorkers going through cancer and treatment side affects.”
Assemblymember Pamela J. Hunter added: “No New Yorker should be forced to choose between their health and their finances. This law is about fairness, dignity, and basic common sense. By capping the cost of lifesaving EpiPens, expanding access to critical breast cancer screening, and covering scalp cooling for people undergoing chemotherapy, we are removing financial barriers that have no place in our health care system. These reforms will save lives, reduce stress for families, and ensure that medically necessary care is accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford it.”