Bill > H1223

This bill aims to ensure that health insurance policies in Massachusetts provide coverage for scalp and facial hair prostheses for individuals who experience hair loss due to specific medical conditions. The bill defines prostheses to include artificial substitutes for scalp hair and facial hair (such as eyebrows), and mandates that insurance providers cover these prostheses for people who lose hair due to cancer treatment, leukemia, alopecia areata (an autoimmune condition causing hair loss), alopecia totalis, non-classical 21-hydroxylase, or permanent hair loss from injury. The coverage is contingent upon a treating physician's written statement confirming the medical necessity of the prosthesis and applies only to hair loss not related to natural or premature aging. The bill amends several existing laws governing different types of health insurance policies (including accident and sickness, hospital service, medical service, and health maintenance contracts) to ensure consistent coverage across various insurance types, with the stipulation that the prosthesis coverage should be provided at the same amount and frequency as hair prostheses for chemotherapy-related hair loss, thereby ensuring non-discriminatory access to these medical devices for affected individuals.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1223