California Bill Could Cover Hair-Saving Cancer Treatment

When Anna Karrer Manley's 11-year-old son asked if she'd still pick him up from his new school after losing her hair to chemotherapy, she knew the impact of cancer reached far beyond her own body.

The Oakland mom was 45 and facing six rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer two years ago. She discovered scalp-cooling technology through a support group, a treatment that uses cooling caps to restrict blood flow to hair follicles during chemo infusions.

Karrer Manley and her husband scraped together $5,000 to pay for the treatment out of pocket. The cooling caps helped her keep 70% of her hair through treatment.

"To move about the world during chemo treatment with your hair and not everybody realizing what's going on with you, I think that's really meaningful," Karrer Manley said. "Cancer takes so much from you, but at least I had a little bit of hair."

Now she's advocating for AB 1682, a bill currently on Governor Gavin Newsom's desk that would require Medi-Cal and large group health plans to cover automated scalp-cooling devices starting in 2027. The measure passed state legislators unanimously in June.

Five states already have similar laws: Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia. Research shows the vast majority of scalp-cooling users are breast cancer patients.

Why This Inspires

The bill represents more than just saving hair. For cancer patients, especially parents, keeping their appearance familiar can ease difficult conversations with children and preserve a sense of normalcy during an overwhelming time.

Health policy expert Janet Coffman from UCSF notes the technology has a relatively small fiscal impact because it only applies to people actively undergoing specific cancer treatments. The California Health Benefits Review Program estimated a broader version of the bill would cost about $4 million annually.

The insurance lobby has opposed the measure, citing affordability concerns. But supporters argue the mental health benefits justify the modest cost increase.

Karrer Manley now sits at her dining table with Asa, the "chemo puppy" she adopted for support during treatment. Her hair has grown back darker and curlier, but her mission continues.

The governor has until September 30 to sign or veto the bill that could help thousands of Californians facing cancer keep one small piece of themselves during their hardest fight.