Covering the Cost of the Wig

Insurance Coverage for Wigs

More and more health insurance companies today cover part or all of the cost of the wig if your doctor writes a prescription. Not every company reimburses, but you should try. It is, after all, a remedy for a treatment side effect just as important as medication you take to treat nausea.

Follow these steps for reimbursement:

1. Some companies require you to get a prescription before you get your wig.
2. Ask your doctor for a prescription for an Extra-cranial Prosthesis (that is, a wig!) to submit to your insurer.
3. You will also need the specific diagnosis. (For example: Alopecia alone is not a diagnosis - you need to now what type.)
4. Ask your insurer for their specific requirements.
5. It is also a tax-deductible expense.

If you can't get or don't have coverage, call your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or your cancer center for assistance. They may even offer free wigs. (Locks of Love provides free wigs for kids and teens.)

If you are offered a free wig, make sure it is really what you want. A woman may donate her wig because she seldom wares it or because she has had it for a very long time. Your local hairdresser should be able to advise you about the quality of a used wig.

Some salons and wig manufacturers donate new wigs for cancer patients. They may be styles or colors that didn’t sell well. They could be very good wigs that customers returned or exchanged. Try to find out the original retail price. There is a wide range of quality in wigs – some are extremely cheep and poorly made.