Healthcare

HB 5374 requires individual health insurance policies in Connecticut that cover chemotherapy to also provide coverage for scalp cooling systems used to prevent hair loss during treatment. This applies to policies delivered, renewed, or continued on or after January 1, 2027, and mandates coverage "at least equivalent to such coverage provided under Medicare." The bill specifically targets policies covering certain chemotherapy-related treatments, directly affecting patients receiving chemotherapy who may use scalp cooling systems. It does not apply to group plans or other insurance types, focusing solely on individual health insurance policies meeting the specified coverage criteria.

This bill requires healthcare facilities and schools to cover medical costs and pay full salary for staff injured during work-related assaults or aggressive incidents. It creates a system for reporting patient violence in digital health records (with patient appeal options) and ensures absences due to such incidents don’t count against paid leave. Directly affects healthcare workers, teachers, and school staff who face workplace violence while performing job duties.