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SB 2455

AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Pete Appollonio and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island will require most private and nonprofit health plans to cover FDA-approved scalp cooling devices for chemotherapy-induced hair loss, starting 2027.

06/05/2026 Referred to House Health & Human Services
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Bill Summary · SB 2455

Summary of SB 2455 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill requires certain health insurance policies and health service organizations to provide coverage for scalp cooling systems used to prevent or reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss (alopecia) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
  • Scope: applies to individual and group hospital/medical expense policies and hospital/medical service plan contracts delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in Rhode Island on or after January 1, 2027.
  • Several exceptions apply to types of coverage that are not subject to the scalp cooling requirement.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definition

    • “Scalp cooling systems” means FDA-approved medical devices designed to cool the scalp to prevent or reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia before, during, or after chemotherapy.

  • Mandatory coverage across multiple insurers/entities

    • Applicable lines include:
    • Individual or group hospital or medical expense insurance policies
    • Individual or group hospital or medical service plan contracts
    • Applies to both “policies delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed” in the state on/after January 1, 2027.

  • Exemptions (coverage not affected)

    • The mandate does not apply to policies or plans providing benefits for: 1) Hospital confinement indemnity 2) Disability income 3) Accident-only coverage 4) Long-term care 5) Medicare supplement 6) Limited benefit health 7) Specified disease indemnity 8) Sickness or bodily injury or death by accident or both 9) Other limited benefit policies

  • Parallel provisions across multiple types of organizations

    • The same scalp cooling coverage requirement is added to:
    • Chapter 27-19 (Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations)
    • Chapter 27-20 (Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations)
    • Chapter 27-41 (Health Maintenance Organizations)

  • Effective date

    • The act becomes effective upon passage (no separate delayed implementation; coverage would be required for policies issued or renewed on/after January 1, 2027).

Who is affected

  • Individuals diagnosed with cancer undergoing chemotherapy in Rhode Island.
  • Employers, insurers, and health service organizations offering the covered insurance or service plans (both commercial and nonprofit) operating within the state.
  • Health maintenance organizations and nonprofit hospital/medical service corporations that issue or renew applicable plans.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Schedule and process
    • Introduced February 6, 2026; referred to Senate Health & Human Services.
    • Committee action history indicates consideration activity in spring 2026, with a commitment to hold for further study as of April 14, 2026, and a scheduled decision/consideration on June 2, 2026.
  • Effective date alignment
    • Requires compliance starting with policy issuances or renewals on/after January 1, 2027.

Potential impact

  • Access and affordability
    • Ensures coverage for scalp cooling treatments, potentially reducing chemotherapy-induced alopecia for eligible patients.
    • May entail marginal premium or administrative cost for insurers, offset by potential long-term patient benefits and quality-of-life improvements.
  • Equity across plans
    • Applies broadly to both for-profit and nonprofit insurer/service plan structures operating in Rhode Island, with explicit carve-outs for certain limited-benefit and other specified coverage types.

Plain-language takeaway

SB 2455 would mandate that most employer-sponsored, individual, and nonprofit health plans in Rhode Island cover FDA-approved scalp cooling devices for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, starting with policies issued or renewed on/after January 1, 2027, while excluding certain limited-benefit or specific coverage types. The goal is to help patients prevent hair loss during treatment without adding out-of-pocket expenses for this specific therapy, within the scope of broad insurance and health service coverage.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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