Georgia CommonsHB 1427: State employees; require state health benefit plan to cover cranial prostheses for certain covered persons
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 26, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 1427
By: Representatives Willis of the 55th, Crawford of the 89th, Miller of the 62nd, and Cannon of the 58th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state employees' health insurance plan and post-employment health benefit fund, so as to require the state health benefit plan to cover cranial prostheses for certain covered persons experiencing partial or complete loss of body hair; to provide for definitions; to provide for cost-sharing requirements; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state employees' health insurance plan and post-employment health benefit fund, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"45-18-4.3.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Alopecia' means the partial or complete loss of body hair caused by a severe autoimmune condition. Such term includes alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, ophiasis, other alopeicia areata, and alopecia areata, unspecified.
(2) 'Cost-sharing requirement' means a deductible, coinsurance, or copayment and any maximum limitation on the application of such a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or similar out-of-pocket expense.
(3) 'Covered person' means an individual covered under the state health benefit plan.
(4) 'Cranial prosthesis' means a medical wig or hairpiece.
(5) 'State health benefit plan' means the health insurance plan or plans established pursuant to this article, for public school teachers and employees, dependents, and retirees pursuant to Part 6 of Article 17 of Chapter 2 of Title 20, and for members, employees, dependents, and retirees of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia pursuant to Code Section 31-2-4.
(b) Beginning January 1, 2027, the state health benefit plan shall include coverage for cranial prostheses for any covered persons experiencing permanent or temporary full or partial hair loss when such prostheses are prescribed by a licensed provider for use as part of a course of rehabilitative treatment for a diagnosed health condition, illness, or injury, including, but not limited to, alopecia, cancer, hair loss after cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation, or scalp injuries.
(c) The benefits of the state health benefit plan as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section shall be subject to the same cost-sharing requirements established for other covered benefits within such state health benefit plan. Special deductibles, coinsurance, copayment, or other limitations that are not generally applicable to other medical devices or services covered by the state health benefit plan shall not be imposed regarding such benefits."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.