DeBenny
03-06-2008, 01:35 AM
The Breast Cancer Protection Act of 2007This important legislation calls for better care for women with breast cancer.
Posted: Thu., Sep. 27, 2007 , 9:31 am EDT
Read on to find out more about the legislation that aims to stop "drive-through" mastectomies.
The Breast Cancer Protection Act of 2007 (S.459/H.R.758)
Lead sponsors: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Cosponsors: This bipartisan bill has 18 cosponsors in the Senate and 168 cosponsors in the House.
The bill's protections for those facing breast cancer include:
1. Inpatient coverage: Provides that a health-care provider cannot limit hospital stays for mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery to less than 48 hours, and also assures a 24-hour stay for lymph node dissection. While some patients may choose a shorter stay, this choice should be one in which both the doctor and patient concur. No woman should be forced to undergo invasive treatment on an outpatient basis. This bill does not mandate a hospital stay if both doctor and patient feel it is unnecessary.
2. A second opinion: Assures a patient of a second opinion for any cancer diagnosis. A cancer diagnosis must be reliable.
3. Support for lumpectomy treatment: Requires coverage for radiation therapy for patients undergoing a lumpectomy. Together with the assurance of inpatient care, the economic incentive is removed for a woman to select mastectomy simply to reduce the immediate cost of treatment.
Background
Rep. DeLauro first proposed this bill in 1996, after Connecticut physician Kristin Zarfos, MD, brought the ever-increasing practice of "drive-through" mastectomies to her attention. Lifetime joined their efforts shortly thereafter and began to collect petition signatures at LifetimeTV.com.
In 1997, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala and the Clinton Administration announced steps to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries are protected from any requirements that would place time limits on hospital stays for mastectomies. However, this never resulted in protections for all patients.
Today, though previous versions of this legislation have stalled in committee, The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 (S.459/H.R.758) has 168 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 18 in the Senate. With more than 20 million signatures on Lifetime's online petition and the support of the following organizations, Lifetime is making sure Congress takes notice: American College of Surgeons; American Medical Association; Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; Families USA; Oncology Nursing Society; Society for Women's Health Research; The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; and Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.
Twenty states have enacted laws to require minimum length of stay requirements in an effort to discourage the practice of "drive-through" mastectomies (protections/remedies vary by state): Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Note: Even if a state law has been passed, "drive-through" mastectomies can still happen.
Find out what's it like endure a mastectomy and be sent home too soon. Help prevent it by signing the petition to stop "drive-through" mastectomies.
This bill has the support of several political leaders in Congress. See if your Representative or Senator is one of them. If not, here's how to contact your Representative or Senator directly to urge them to support this legislation.
Read the exact wording of the legislation at the Library of Congress' website. Then enter: S.459 (to see the Senate version) or H.R.758 (to see the House of Representatives version).
From: http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-
cancer/breast-cancer-protection-act-2007
We all know someone (or atleast know someone who knows someone) who suffers from this or is prone to it per genetics. Please support this Act by signing the petition on http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition
Posted: Thu., Sep. 27, 2007 , 9:31 am EDT
Read on to find out more about the legislation that aims to stop "drive-through" mastectomies.
The Breast Cancer Protection Act of 2007 (S.459/H.R.758)
Lead sponsors: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Cosponsors: This bipartisan bill has 18 cosponsors in the Senate and 168 cosponsors in the House.
The bill's protections for those facing breast cancer include:
1. Inpatient coverage: Provides that a health-care provider cannot limit hospital stays for mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery to less than 48 hours, and also assures a 24-hour stay for lymph node dissection. While some patients may choose a shorter stay, this choice should be one in which both the doctor and patient concur. No woman should be forced to undergo invasive treatment on an outpatient basis. This bill does not mandate a hospital stay if both doctor and patient feel it is unnecessary.
2. A second opinion: Assures a patient of a second opinion for any cancer diagnosis. A cancer diagnosis must be reliable.
3. Support for lumpectomy treatment: Requires coverage for radiation therapy for patients undergoing a lumpectomy. Together with the assurance of inpatient care, the economic incentive is removed for a woman to select mastectomy simply to reduce the immediate cost of treatment.
Background
Rep. DeLauro first proposed this bill in 1996, after Connecticut physician Kristin Zarfos, MD, brought the ever-increasing practice of "drive-through" mastectomies to her attention. Lifetime joined their efforts shortly thereafter and began to collect petition signatures at LifetimeTV.com.
In 1997, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala and the Clinton Administration announced steps to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries are protected from any requirements that would place time limits on hospital stays for mastectomies. However, this never resulted in protections for all patients.
Today, though previous versions of this legislation have stalled in committee, The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 (S.459/H.R.758) has 168 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 18 in the Senate. With more than 20 million signatures on Lifetime's online petition and the support of the following organizations, Lifetime is making sure Congress takes notice: American College of Surgeons; American Medical Association; Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; Families USA; Oncology Nursing Society; Society for Women's Health Research; The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; and Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.
Twenty states have enacted laws to require minimum length of stay requirements in an effort to discourage the practice of "drive-through" mastectomies (protections/remedies vary by state): Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Note: Even if a state law has been passed, "drive-through" mastectomies can still happen.
Find out what's it like endure a mastectomy and be sent home too soon. Help prevent it by signing the petition to stop "drive-through" mastectomies.
This bill has the support of several political leaders in Congress. See if your Representative or Senator is one of them. If not, here's how to contact your Representative or Senator directly to urge them to support this legislation.
Read the exact wording of the legislation at the Library of Congress' website. Then enter: S.459 (to see the Senate version) or H.R.758 (to see the House of Representatives version).
From: http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-
cancer/breast-cancer-protection-act-2007
We all know someone (or atleast know someone who knows someone) who suffers from this or is prone to it per genetics. Please support this Act by signing the petition on http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition