Insurance and wigs

Because wigs for cancer patients and other health conditions are not for cosmetic purposes, they may qualify for reimbursement covered by your health insurance. Many private insurance companies now cover all or some of the cost of a medical wig as long as you have a prescription.  

Ask for a prescription for an “extra-cranial prosthesis” ( a wig ) to submit to your insurer. Not every company reimburses, but you should try.   The provider where you are trying to obtain a wig can make a call to your insurance company and see if the product is covered by your insurance.  The first thing necessary is a prescription with the correct information.

Call Your Health Insurance Provider First

Some Medical Insurances will cover a percentage of a wig purchase. Before you start wig shopping, call your insurance company and ask about their requirements, what they will cover, and what terminology they need to have on a prescription for a wig.

If the answer is that you must have a prescription from your oncologist, it should be written for a "hair prosthesis" or "cranial prosthesis." Relax, that doesn't mean that you need a new cranium! It's just the way that insurance companies prefer to label a chemo-required wig. The insurance company may also require that you purchase the wig first, send in the receipt, and file a claim. I had to classify my cranial prosthesis as "durable medical goods".

Keep a Paper Trail

Make copies of all the paperwork related to your wig, in case it gets lost during the claim process. If your claim is delayed or goes missing, it's easy to resubmit your claim, if you've still got the information. You should copy and save these items:

• Your doctor's prescription
• Sales receipt for your wig
• Completed insurance claim form
• Any correspondence you send to the insurance company

Get Help From a Pro

Some of the shops that specialize in wigs for cancer patients will help you file an insurance claim. If they don't actually do the filing for you, they may have a staff person who can coach you through the paperwork.

 There is no guarantee that your wig is covered by your insurance until we make that call and obtain the benefits from your insurance provider.