Senate Committee Reviews Medicare Wig Coverage for Chemo, Cancer Patients
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
This bill would add wigs (called "cranial prostheses") to the list of durable medical equipment covered by Medicare. People on Medicare who lose their hair due to cancer, chemotherapy, or autoimmune diseases could get coverage for wigs that currently cost hundreds to thousands of dollars out of pocket. A doctor's written certification of medical necessity would be required. This would reduce financial burden for the estimated millions of Medicare beneficiaries who experience medically-caused hair loss.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Reps. Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley, alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal, have reintroduced legislation to require Medicare to cover wigs for individuals affected by alopecia or undergoing chemotherapy. Currently, Medicare does not cover these costs, unlike many private insurance plans.
The bill aims to classify wigs as durable medical equipment, allowing Medicare to cover the cost for patients with medical hair loss. Rep. McGovern noted that wigs can cost thousands of dollars, and the bill ensures equitable access to these essential tools for dignity and recovery.
Lawmakers have reintroduced the Wigs as Durable Medical Equipment Act to include wigs under Medicare coverage for patients experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy or autoimmune conditions. The bill addresses the high out-of-pocket costs that disproportionately affect low-income seniors.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for wigs as durable medical equipment under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.
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