The cold cap coverage gap and a cancer survivor’s push for change

Millions of Americans are affected by cancer each year. For many, hair loss is among the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy treatment, causing some to put off or refuse chemo.

A revolutionary technology exists: scalp cooling, which involves wearing a cold cap during treatment to restrict blood vessels and reduce how much chemo reaches the hair follicles.

Rossalynn Ripper, a breast cancer survivor, was able to use scalp cooling to prevent hair loss during her treatment. Now, she advocates for her home state of Maryland to pass a bill requiring insurers to cover the treatment.

Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks to Ripper and her oncologist, Young Lee, M.D., of Luminis Health, about why scalp cooling is important to treatment access and what barriers remain.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• CMS rolls out new payment model on improving cancer treatments
• Accelerating solutions to cancer through impact investing
• More patients are surviving cancer, but incident rates rising among women and younger adults: ACS report

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