Cancer: Cooling caps gain ground in group insurance

Long overlooked by insurance companies, cooling caps, gloves and socks designed to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy are gradually finding their way into group insurance plans.

In recent months, Assumption Life and Beneva have begun allowing members of certain group insurance plans to claim reimbursement for the rental of cooling caps, which help limit chemotherapy-induced hair loss. Assumption Life has gone a step further by also covering cooling gloves and socks, which are used in an attempt to prevent nerve damage in the extremities.

The two insurers are following the lead of Desjardins, which became the first insurer in Canada to announce, in November 2025, reimbursement for cooling cap rentals under its group insurance plans that include coverage for therapeutic equipment.

Up to 65% of patients undergoing chemotherapy may experience hair loss, known as alopecia, depending on the type of treatment they receive, according to a report published in January 2025 by Quebec's Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS). Certain treatments can also cause peripheral neuropathy, which may manifest as numbness, burning sensations or altered sensitivity in the fingers and toes, sometimes with persistent symptoms.

Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, a process known as vasoconstriction, temporarily reducing blood flow to targeted areas and, consequently, their exposure to chemotherapy drugs. This mechanism can help mitigate certain treatment side effects, explains Sophie Truesdell-Ménard, founder and president of the Fondation Garde tes cheveux.

Largely unknown

An impassioned plea by Sophie Reis, a cancer survivor who has used cooling caps, struck a chord with attendees at the Congrès collectif, organized by the Insurance Journal Publishing Group, last February.

The entrepreneur, speaker and author of Un cancer en cadeau raised awareness among conference attendees about the benefits of cooling caps. Although these devices have been used since the 1970s, they remain largely unknown to the public and to some within the medical community.

“Many people are told there is no solution to prevent hair loss,” she laments in an interview with the Insurance Portal. “This information isn't being communicated within the medical community, and it isn't covered in medical training either.”

The outgoing vice-president of Fondation Garde tes cheveux says that 8% of people with cancer refuse treatment or choose a less effective option because they do not want to risk losing their hair.

Reis' presentation helped convince several insurers to expand their group insurance coverage to include cooling devices, acknowledges Marc-André Blondeau, associate vice-president, group insurance sales, at Assumption Life, in an interview.

Blondeau says he was surprised that cooling caps, socks and gloves were not already covered by more group insurance plans. “I'm convinced it was because of a lack of knowledge, awareness and demand that we weren't offering this coverage,” says Blondeau, whose own loved ones have battled cancer. “I hope other insurers will follow suit.”

Growing body of evidence

Already aware of the issue through its close collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society, Beneva acknowledges that Reis' presentation accelerated the rollout of coverage it had been considering for several years. “We had taken a first step last January by expanding our health spending account to include cooling caps,” says Éric Trudel, executive vice-president and leader, group insurance, at Beneva.

Since September 1, 2026, a new category of eligible expenses, “support for people with cancer,” has provided coverage for certain expenses related to post-surgical reconstruction, external prostheses, hair loss solutions, including cooling caps, professional care and physical comfort, Beneva specifies.

Trudel also acknowledges that insurers have been slow to include cooling caps in their coverage, even though the devices have existed for decades. He attributes this delay in part to a lack of scientific evidence regarding their effectiveness.

“If you look at INESSS, it was only in January 2025 that an advisory report stated that cooling caps were effective in preventing hair loss,” Trudel points out. “That may explain why insurers are only now beginning to include them.”

For now, Beneva has chosen not to include cooling socks and gloves in its offering, citing a lack of sufficiently compelling scientific evidence. “What our experts are telling us is that the evidence of their effectiveness is much less convincing than it is for cooling caps,” Trudel explains. “Maybe we'll add them one day, but we'll have to wait for more scientific evidence demonstrating their effectiveness.”

Asked whether it was considering offering similar coverage, UV Insurance declined our interview request.

A matter of dignity

Fondation Garde tes cheveux is advocating for cancer patients to be better informed about the availability of cooling devices and their potential benefits so they can make informed decisions.

The foundation is also calling on private insurers to reimburse these devices to make them more accessible. According to the foundation, renting a cooling cap costs an average of just over $2,000 for a few months, not including the dry ice required to use it.

According to Truesdell-Ménard, keeping their hair allows some patients to maintain a more active lifestyle despite their illness, with psychological benefits that could also help reduce disability-related absences.

“Psychologically, it makes an enormous difference [not to lose your hair],” says Truesdell-Ménard, who has also battled cancer. “It's a first victory in a treatment plan.”

She adds that it also allows patients to avoid being constantly reminded of their illness, whether when looking in the mirror or through the eyes of others.

“It's clear that cancer treatments have physical and psychological effects,” Trudel confirms. “If we can help in that regard, we're certainly on board. Helping mitigate the side effects of certain treatments is directly part of the role [insurers play].”

Blondeau agrees. “It's something that's essential to preserving people's dignity,” he believes. “Some people may have made a decision because of the costs [of treatment], which makes no sense to me.”

The efforts of Fondation Garde tes cheveux appear to be paying off. According to statistics obtained from cooling cap manufacturer Penguin Cold Caps, Reis says, only three Quebecers had used a cooling cap in 2020. Six years later, she adds, more than 1,000 patients had opted for the treatment after learning of its existence. Penguin Cold Caps had not confirmed these figures to The Insurance Portal.