1 of 1 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 417 FILED ON: 1/12/2023 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1066 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _________________ PRESENTED BY: Sally P. Kerans and Joan B. Lovely _________________ To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled: The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: An Act providing health insurance coverage for scalp and facial hair prosthesis. _______________ PETITION OF: NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Sally P. Kerans13th Essex1/12/2023Joan B. LovelySecond Essex1/12/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/1/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex2/7/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire2/10/2023Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire2/14/2023Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk2/15/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/22/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester2/22/2023Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex2/28/2023Richard M. Haggerty30th Middlesex3/6/2023 1 of 5 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 417 FILED ON: 1/12/2023 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1066 By Representative Kerans of Danvers and Senator Lovely, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1066) of Sally P. Kerans, Joan B. Lovely and others relative to providing health insurance coverage for scalp and facial hair prosthesis. Financial Services. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _______________ In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court (2023-2024) _______________ An Act providing health insurance coverage for scalp and facial hair prosthesis. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Subsection (b) of section 17E of chapter 32A of the General Laws, as so 2appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 11, after the 3words “cancer or leukemia;” the following:- 4 or as a result of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, non-classical 21-hydroxylase or 5permanent loss of facial or scalp hair due to injury; provided, however, that the alopecia is not 6part of the natural or premature aging process; and 7 SECTION 2. Chapter 175 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by 8inserting, after section 47KK, the following section:- 9 Section 47LL. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following 10meanings:- 2 of 5 11 “Prosthesis”, an artificial appliance used to replace a lost natural structure; provided, 12however, that prosthesis shall include, but not be limited to, artificial arms, legs, breasts, scalp 13hair, facial pigmentation or glass eyes. 14 "Scalp hair prosthesis”, an artificial substitute for scalp hair. 15 "Facial medical pigmentation", an artificial substitute for facial hair, including, but not 16limited to, eyebrows. 17 (b) An individual policy of accident and sickness insurance issued under section 108 that 18provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and any group blanket or general 19policy of accident and sickness insurance issued under section 110 that provides hospital expense 20and surgical expense insurance, which is issued or renewed within or without the 21commonwealth, shall provide benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for any other prosthesis, 22coverage for expenses for facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair prostheses worn for hair loss 23suffered as a result of the treatment of any form of cancer or leukemia, or as a result of alopecia 24areata, alopecia totalis, non-classical 21-hydroxylase or permanent loss of facial or scalp hair due 25to injury; provided, however, that the alopecia is not part of the natural or premature aging 26process; and provided, however, that such coverage shall be subject to a written statement by the 27treating physician that the facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair prosthesis is medically 28necessary; and provided, further, that such coverage shall be subject to the same limitations and 29guidelines as other prostheses. 30 SECTION 3. Chapter 176A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by 31inserting after section 8MM the following section:- 3 of 5 32 Section 8NN. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following 33meanings:- 34 “Prosthesis”, an artificial appliance used to replace a lost natural structure; provided, 35however, that prosthesis shall include, but not be limited to, artificial arms, legs, breasts, scalp 36hair, facial pigmentation or glass eyes. 37 “Scalp hair prosthesis”, an artificial substitute for scalp hair. 38 "Facial medical pigmentation", an artificial substitute for facial hair, including, but not 39limited to, eyebrows. 40 A contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual or group hospital 41service plan that is issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth shall provide benefits 42on a nondiscriminatory basis for expenses for facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair 43prosthesis worn for hair loss suffered as a result of the treatment of any form of cancer or 44leukemia, or as a result of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, non-classical 21-hydroxylase or 45permanent loss of scalp hair due to injury; provided, however, that the alopecia is not part of the 46natural or premature aging process; and provided, however, that such coverage shall be subject to 47a written statement by the treating physician that the facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair 48prosthesis is medically necessary. Such coverage shall be subject to the same limitations and 49guidelines as other prosthesis. Such pigmentation and prosthesis coverage shall be provided at a 50minimum at the same amount and frequency as any state insurer provides for hair prostheses for 51hair loss due to chemotherapy. 52 SECTION 4. Chapter 176B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by 53inserting after section 4MM the following section:- 4 of 5 54 Section 4NN. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following 55meanings:- 56 “Prosthesis”, an artificial appliance used to replace a lost natural structure; provided, 57however, that prosthesis shall include, but not be limited to, artificial arms, legs, breasts, scalp 58hair, facial pigmentation or glass eyes. 59 “Scalp hair prosthesis”, an artificial substitute for scalp hair. 60 "Facial medical pigmentation", an artificial substitute for facial hair, including, but not 61limited to, eyebrows. 62 A subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement that is 63issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth shall provide benefits on a 64nondiscriminatory basis for expenses for facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair prosthesis 65worn for hair loss suffered as a result of the treatment of any form of cancer or leukemia, or as a 66result of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, non-classical 21-hydroxylase, or permanent loss of 67facial or scalp hair due to injury; provided, however, that the alopecia is not part of the natural or 68premature aging process. Such coverage, however, shall be subject to a written statement by the 69treating physician that the medical pigmentation or hair prosthesis is medically necessary. Such 70coverage shall be subject to the same limitations and guidelines as other prosthesis. Such medical 71pigmentation or scalp hair prosthesis coverage shall be provided at a minimum at the same 72amount and frequency as any state insurer provides for hair prostheses for hair loss due to 73chemotherapy. 74 SECTION 5. Chapter 176G of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by 75inserting after section 4EE the following section:- 5 of 5 76 Section 4FF. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following 77meanings:- 78 “Prosthesis”, an artificial appliance used to replace a lost natural structure; provided, 79however, that prosthesis shall include, but not be limited to, artificial arms, legs, breasts, scalp 80hair, facial pigmentation or glass eyes. 81 “Scalp hair prosthesis”, an artificial substitute for scalp hair. 82 "Facial medical pigmentation", an artificial substitute for facial hair, including, but not 83limited to, eyebrows. 84 A health maintenance contract issued or renewed within or without the commonwealth 85shall provide benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for facial hair loss suffered as a result of the 86treatment of any form of cancer or leukemia, or as a result of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, 87non-classical 21-hydroxylase or permanent loss of facial or scalp hair due to injury; provided, 88however, that the alopecia is not part of the natural or premature aging process; and provided, 89however, that such coverage shall be subject to a written statement by the treating physician that 90the facial medical pigmentation or scalp hair prosthesis is medically necessary. Such coverage 91shall be subject to the same limitations and guidelines as other prostheses. Such prosthesis 92coverage shall be provided at a minimum at the same amount and frequency as any state insurer 93provides for hair prostheses for hair loss due to chemotherapy.