New health care laws in New York will take effect on January 1, 2026, aimed at making medical treatments more affordable for residents. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the legislation will require health insurers to cover medically necessary EpiPens and cap annual out-of-pocket costs for these devices at $100. The laws also expand insurance coverage for breast cancer screening and imaging, as well as mandate coverage of scalp cooling systems used during chemotherapy.
“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table or being able to afford life-saving medical devices and procedures,” Governor Hochul said. “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 price of EpiPen devices has risen sharply since 2007, with costs increasing by up to 600 percent. While a two-pack can now cost more than $600, these devices must be replaced annually due to expiration dates, and patients are often advised to carry two pens at all times. Under the new law, individual and group market insurers—including non-profit organizations and HMOs—must provide coverage for medically necessary EpiPens with an annual out-of-pocket limit of $100.
Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women in New York State, with approximately 17,000 diagnoses and nearly 2,400 deaths each year. The updated law requires that insurance plans cover breast cancer screening and diagnostic imaging such as mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs if recommended by a doctor following national clinical guidelines. Most patients will not face additional cost-sharing for these services unless it would affect eligibility for health savings accounts under IRS rules.
Scalp cooling systems—already covered by Medicaid and Medicare—are designed to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy but can cost patients between $1,500 and $3,000 per treatment round without insurance coverage. The new requirement obliges large group market insurers to include scalp cooling systems as part of their benefits.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky commented: “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 stated: “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.”
