ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland lawmakers are considering legislation that would require insurance companies to cover scalp cooling, a procedure that helps cancer patients keep their hair during chemotherapy treatment.
The House Health Committee heard testimony today on the bipartisan bill, which has gained support from cancer survivors and advocates who say the procedure can help patients maintain their dignity during treatment.
"When you lose your hair it's a sign of illness, it's a sign that you've got cancer, it's a sign that something's going on," said Rossalynn Ripper, a cancer survivor and advocate who testified in favor of the legislation.
Advocates want insurance companies to cover procedure to help chemo patients keep their hair
Ripper advocated for Maryland to require insurance companies to cover scalp cooling, explaining how the procedure works.
"So it's a cap that's fitted over your head that's connected to a coolant machine that runs anywhere from negative 1 Celsius to negative 4 Celsius and what that does is it brings the hair follicle to a very cold point so the chemo therapy can't get to the hair follicle which causes hair loss," Ripper said.
The treatment allowed Ripper to keep her hair throughout her entire chemotherapy treatment.
Delegate Natoya Nkongolo, a Republican from Anne Arundel County and the bill's lead sponsor in the House, emphasized the psychological importance of hair retention during cancer treatment.
"I started out by saying, I want you to go home and shave your head and come back to work the next day, men and women. And you know when I painted the picture for the delegates it painted for just how important hair is. We don't think about it until it's gone," Nkongolo said.
The bill was introduced last year but needed additional work. The delegate and advocates expressed confidence that the legislation can pass this year.
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