January 21, 2026- In 2018, the federal government expanded the coverage duration of short-term limited-duration (STLD) health plans from 3 months to less than 12 months with the option to renew for a total duration of up to 36 months. Some states imposed more stringent regulations than those federally imposed or banned the sale of these STLD plans, while other states did not have any additional regulations. In a new study from the American Cancer Society (ACS), researchers found that limited or no state regulation of STLD health plans after 2018 was associated with a delay in timely treatment initiation among people newly diagnosed with female breast, colorectal, or non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). The study is to be published today in the journal Cancer, an international, interdisciplinary journal of the American Cancer Society.