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H 4552

Heathwood Hall boys track champs

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 122 co-sponsors

Requires health plans in MA to cover scalp hair prostheses and facial pigmentation for medically caused hair loss (e.g., alopecia, cancer treatment).

Introduced and adopted
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Bill Summary · H 4552

Summary — H 4552

Status: Introduced (Massachusetts) — Committee report filed 09/29/2025; reported favorably and referred to Health Care Financing.
Also includes a separate South Carolina House Resolution (introduced and adopted 05/08/2025) honoring the Heathwood Hall boys track team.

Purpose

Primarily, H 4552 is a Massachusetts bill that would require a range of health insurance policies and health plans to cover scalp hair prostheses and facial medical pigmentation (e.g., eyebrows) for people who lose hair because of medical conditions or injury — specifically including alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, non‑classical 21‑hydroxylase, cancer/leukemia treatment, or permanent loss from injury. The file also contains a separate ceremonial South Carolina House Resolution recognizing the 2025 Heathwood Hall boys track & field state champions.

Key provisions (Massachusetts statutory amendments)

  • Adds coverage for scalp hair prostheses and “facial medical pigmentation” (artificial substitutes for facial hair, including eyebrows) to several parts of Massachusetts law governing:
    • Chapter 32A (state employee plans) — amends §17E(b)
    • Chapter 175 — inserts §47AAA
    • Chapter 176A — inserts §8EEE
    • Chapter 176B — inserts §4EEE
    • Chapter 176G — inserts §4WW
  • Definitions: clarifies “prosthesis,” “scalp hair prosthesis,” and “facial medical pigmentation.”
  • Requires individual and group accident & sickness policies, hospital service plans, medical service agreements, and HMO contracts issued or renewed in the Commonwealth to provide benefits for these services on a nondiscriminatory basis.
  • Conditions and limits:
    • Coverage applies when hair loss results from cancer/leukemia treatment, alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, non‑classical 21‑hydroxylase, or permanent loss due to injury.
    • Excludes hair loss that is part of natural or premature aging.
    • Coverage requires a written statement from the treating physician that the prosthesis or pigmentation is medically necessary.
    • Coverage is to be subject to the same limitations and guidelines that apply to other prostheses.
    • For several plan types, coverage must be provided at least at the same amount and frequency as state insurer coverage for prostheses for chemotherapy-related hair loss.

Who is affected

  • Individuals (adults and children) with medically related scalp or facial hair loss due to the listed causes.
  • Health insurers, group policyholders, HMOs, and employer plans in Massachusetts (including state employee plans).
  • Treating physicians, who must document medical necessity for coverage.
  • Potential fiscal/administrative impact on insurers and plans (not quantified in the bill text).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Committee on Financial Services reported the bill favorably on 09/29/2025 and referred it to the Committee on Health Care Financing.
  • The legislative file also contains a South Carolina House Resolution (filed and adopted 05/08/2025) that is purely ceremonial and unrelated to the Massachusetts insurance provisions. That resolution recognizes Heathwood Hall Episcopal School’s boys track & field team for winning the 2025 SCISA Division 1 State Championship (May 5, 2025) and names coaches and standout athletes.

Potential impact

  • Expands mandated coverage for wigs and certain facial-replacement/pigmentation procedures to more medical causes of hair loss, improving access to appearance-related medical devices for people with alopecia and injury-related hair loss.
  • Could increase claims/expenses for payers; insurers may adjust premiums or plan designs accordingly. The bill contains parity and medical‑necessity safeguards but does not include a fiscal estimate in the text.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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