AJL Advocacy Form

Email your Federal Legislator NOW to Mandate Insurance Coverage for Wigs

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I am one of your constituents and am an advocate for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). NAAF supports research to find a cure or acceptable therapy for alopecia areata, supports those with the disease, and educates the public about alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches on the head and can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis) or complete body hair loss (alopecia universalis). Alopecia areata tends to strike children, and 6.9 million Americans have been, are, or will be affected by the condition. This common skin disease is highly unpredictable and cyclical. Hair can grow back in or fall out again at any time, and the disease course is different for each person.

Currently, the Social Security Act determines which products are considered “durable medical equipment” for the purposes of Medicare coverage. This definition includes things like crutches and oxygen tanks, as well as prosthetics. However, the definition of a “prosthetic” does not specifically include cranial prosthetics, which can lead to coverage challenges. It is important to note that private insurance and other payers often base their coverage policies and standards on Medicare.

Congressman James P. McGovern is the lead for H.R. 4034, and original co-sponsors include Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, and Congressman Mike Quigley. Senator Richard Blumenthal is the lead for S.1922 (D-CT), and original co-sponsors are Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). This legislation would provide coverage for wigs as durable medical equipment under the Medicare Program. Many patients living with medical hair loss suffer from a variety of diseases, including cancer. With no known cause or cure, alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disease affecting approximately 6.9 million Americans, many of whom are children.

We ask House Members to please cosponsor H.R. 4034 by contacting Bella Edo (isabella.edo@mail.house.gov) in Congressman McGovern’s office. We also ask Senators to co-sponsor S.1922 by contacting Kasandra Navarro (kasandra_navarro@blumenthal.senate.gov) in Senator Blumenthal’s office.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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This campaign is hosted by the Alopecia Justice League. We will protect your privacy, and keep you informed about this campaign and others.

Wigs are often necessary medical equipment for the hair loss community but remain highly cost-prohibitive. For many, wigs instill a sense of self and are far more than cosmetic devices. It’s not just hair. Please take action today to make cranial prosthetics more accessible.