On Wednesday, May 21, the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on HR 536—Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. This hearing is an important first step toward passage of a bill that would affect more than 200,000 women a year. Given the incidence of breast cancer, nearly everyone’s life is touched by this disease.

HR 536 was first introduced in 1996 by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The proposed legislation was prompted by a meeting DeLauro had with a Connecticut surgeon who stated that she was constantly battling with insurance companies to keep her breast cancer patients in the hospital for the needed amount of time after breast removal surgery (mastectomy). Even though the current standard calls for 2 to 4 days in the hospital to recuperate, many insurance companies refuse to cover a 2 to 4 day hospital stay. Some women have reported being forced to leave the hospital within hours after surgery.

Congresswoman Sue Kelly (R-NY) and Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) joined with DeLauro in re-introducing the legislation in 2005.

The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act would:

• guarantee a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours for a woman having a mastectomy or lumpectomy, and 24 hours for a woman undergoing a lymph node removal;
• require health plans to include notice of these benefits in their monthly mailing and yearly information packet sent to plan participants;
• require insurers to provide full coverage for second opinions should the patient seek one.

It’s worth noting that the bill does not mandate a 48 hour hospital stay; nor does it set 48 hours as a maximum amount of time a woman can stay in the hospital. It simply ensures that any decision regarding the length of hospital stay will be made by the patient and her doctor. This bipartisan bill is modeled after the carefully crafted and widely-supported legislation that ended drive-through births. The American Medical Association (AMA) has spoken out in support of the bill based on its belief that medical decisions should be made by patients and their physicians, rather than by insurers.

How can you help?
You can help by contacting the Representatives and Senators from your state. In addition, you can join 11 million others (including me) who have signed the Lifetime Television breast cancer petition. There is still a long way to go, but this is an important first step.

As for me, my friend and colleague, Mary, has taught me the true meaning of grace under fire.