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REINTRODUCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE BREAST RECONSTRUCTION ACT
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HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS
of florida
in the house of representatives
Monday, January 25, 2021
Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Comprehensive Breast Reconstruction Act. This legislation will bring Medicaid and Medicare programs into compliance with the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, and will expand post-mastectomy breast reconstruction patients' access to modern and innovative procedures, products, and therapies to support their return to a healthy normal.
In 2020 alone, almost 280,000 new instances of breast cancer were estimated to have been diagnosed, and anticipated deaths from breast cancer were over 42,000. However, the breast cancer survival rate has steadily increased faster than the rate of new diagnoses, which is believed to be related to new treatments and procedures, such as early detection screening.
My legislation builds on past advancements and successes to heal the whole patient following a medically-necessary mastectomy. Deciding to receive a mastectomy is undoubtedly an emotional decision in an impossible situation. In order to alleviate the toll this decision has on breast cancer patients, breast reconstruction is an option for them to build a sense of well-being and confidence as well as regain a sense of wholeness.
More patients are opting for breast reconstruction, with over 107,000 in 2019, a 36 percent growth since 2000. Unfortunately, many patients face a complex landscape of what exactly a breast reconstruction entails, and laws and policies intended to provide healthcare coverage for this procedure are antiquated and do not account for advances in this area.
My legislation will establish a more uniform and comprehensive breast reconstruction process that can be tailored to fit each patient's needs. Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries will be guaranteed access to post-mastectomy reconstruction under the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act and by expanding coverage to include nipple-areola complex tattoos for those who elect to undergo this procedure. The goal is to expand access to scientifically proven healthcare that increase patient well-being and satisfaction with their results.
Madam Speaker, breast reconstruction and the nipple-areola complex tattoo are not about cosmetic change. They are about holistic outcomes and choice in what the patient and provider decide is best physically, emotionally, and mentally to attain the ideal outcome and long-term health.
I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this long-overdue legislation.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 14
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