# What the Access to Scalp Cooling Therapy Act Does

This bill requires health insurance companies to cover scalp cooling devices—things like cooling caps or cold caps—that people use during chemotherapy to prevent or reduce hair loss. Starting in 2025, if this bill becomes law, insurance plans would have to pay for these devices the same way they pay for cancer drugs given through IV or injection.

Here's what that means in practical terms: If you're undergoing chemotherapy and want to use a scalp cooling device to keep your hair, your insurance would cover it. The copay, deductible, or coinsurance you'd pay would match whatever you'd pay for your chemotherapy drugs themselves—not some higher amount. So if your cancer medication costs you $50 out of pocket, the cooling cap would also cost you around $50, rather than potentially hundreds of dollars. The bill applies to most types of health insurance, including employer plans, individual plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and coverage for federal employees, military members, and veterans.

The reasoning behind this is straightforward: hair loss during chemotherapy is a real side effect that affects people's quality of life and emotional wellbeing during an already difficult time. Scalp cooling actually works—it reduces blood flow to hair follicles, helping them survive the chemotherapy. But these devices can be expensive, often costing hundreds or thousands of dollars, which puts them out of reach for many people. By requiring insurance to cover them at the same cost-sharing level as the cancer treatment itself, the bill aims to make this option accessible to anyone undergoing chemotherapy who wants it.