The Source |Rep. Ayanna Pressley Reintroduces Bill to Get Wigs Covered by Medicare

If you are living with Alopecia, battling cancer, or facing a medical condition that leads to hair loss then congresswoman Ayanna Pressley believes you should be able to access wigs and other head coverings without the burden of its expensive price tag. The bill known as the Wigs as Durable Medical Equipment Act was reintroduced on Friday, October 1st. Originally introduced by Representatives James McGovern and David Schweikert, which stalled in Congress until  Ayanna Pressley bought her first-person account and advocacy to the table.  “To be bald as a woman really does disrupt conventional and societal norms of what is appropriate, what is professional, what is attractive, what is feminine,” Pressley told Vanity Fair in an interview.  The Bill recognizes that, while some private insurance companies cover the cost of cranial prosthetics, the often-expensive wigs are not covered by medicare, leaving many low-income families without any resources need as the wigs go far beyond cosmetics, helping one mentally cope as well. If passed, the bill would recategorize medical wigs as durable medical equipment which would then make them eligible for coverage under the Social Security Act.

“Every person living with alopecia, battling cancer, or facing another medical condition that leads to hair loss should be able to access wigs and other head coverings. Our bill is responsive and sends a powerful message to these communities: We see you, you belong, and you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Pressley said in a statement released by McGovern’s office. “Since I first revealed my alopecia diagnosis, I’ve been intentional about creating space and creating community for those of us who have medical conditions that impact our hair — and this bill is a continuation of those efforts.”

See the full text of the Bill HERE