Bill Sponsorship: Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act
Congressional Summary: Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require coverage and radiation therapy for breast cancer treatment.
Prohibits restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection; or
Prohibits requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay.
According to the American Cancer Society, excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women.
An estimated 40,480 women and 450 men died from breast cancer in
2008, and an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in women, plus 1,990 cases in men.
Most breast cancer patients undergo some type of surgical treatment.
Treatment for breast cancer varies according to type of insurance coverage and State of residence.
Currently, 20 States mandate minimum inpatient coverage after a patient undergoes a mastectomy.
Breast cancer patients have reported adverse outcomes, including infection and inadequately controlled pain, resulting from premature hospital discharge following breast cancer surgery.