New York Assembly Bill A06935

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/18/25
• Refer: 3/18/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires Medicaid to cover a wearable medical device that uses low-intensity, alternating electric fields delivered to the tumor site to treat glioblastoma and other cancers as recommended by medical and scientific evidence.

Summary

This bill amends New York’s Social Services Law to require Medicaid coverage for a wearable medical device that uses low-intensity, alternating electric fields delivered directly to a tumor site. The covered device is described as a treatment for glioblastoma and other cancers, so long as its use is supported by medical and scientific evidence. The bill specifies that coverage should be informed by several evidence sources, including FDA-approved or cleared labeling, Medicare coverage determinations, and nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines such as those from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network or the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The measure would take effect on April 1 following enactment.

Impact

The bill would expand Medicaid benefits in New York by adding a specific cancer treatment device to the list of covered services under Social Services Law section 365-a. In practical terms, it would require the state Medicaid program to pay for qualifying tumor-treating field devices for eligible enrollees when the treatment is supported by the referenced medical evidence standards. This could affect Medicaid recipients with glioblastoma and potentially other cancers, as well as providers and managed care plans administering Medicaid coverage.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as a targeted health coverage expansion with a strong medical-necessity rationale. There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support from debate. The bill’s reliance on FDA labeling, Medicare determinations, and clinical guidelines suggests an effort to ground the proposal in established medical consensus, which typically indicates a favorable or pragmatic legislative posture.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is cost and scope: requiring Medicaid to cover a specialized wearable cancer device could increase program expenditures, and the phrase “glioblastoma and other cancers” may raise questions about how broadly the benefit would be applied. Another possible issue is whether coverage should be limited to specific FDA-approved indications or extended more broadly based on clinical guidelines and Medicare policy. No explicit objections are documented in the provided materials, but those are the likely policy debates surrounding the bill.