pending mastectomy law - help please

newbiewed

Hi everyone,

 I don't post a lot but received an e-mail that I want to pass on. 

Congress has a proposed law change that would make mastectomy an outpatient procedure.  This is totally outrageous in my opinion - can you imagine having to go through this and then be discharged the same day?  JUST SO insurance companies can save $$?  Doctors hands would be tied if this passes - they'd have to expell patients with drainage tubes and tons of pain.

A good family friend of ours is a senior and well-respected nurse at Virginia Mason and she is telling everyone she knows about this.  We have a chance to sign a petition to help stop this amendment from becoming law.  (I can't believe that it would pass, but we need to voice our opinion just in case.)

The petition needs only your name, e-mail, and zip code.  Here is a link:

https://www.mylifetime.com/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition

Thanks, ladies..... 

 

DestinationWeddingKeyWest

I work in a hospital and heard about this...it's horrible.

LMichelleG

Thanks for passing this along. My mom is currently being treated for breast cancer. Uggg ... yea she definitely was not ready to come home the same day she had her mastectomy.

MsGirl1

Thank you for sharing this!

Seattle_JiLLn

I dont' understand how congress passes a law about how long yu're in the hospital for any procedure at all.   Do they have laws about other surgeries being in/out patient?  or how long you stay in the hospital?  I thought docs (and insurance companies) decided that??

preston18

They are not making a law to make it an outpatient procedure. They are trying to make a law that requires coverage for a minimum 48 hour stay. Only a doctor can determine the length of stay a woman needs.  Representatives in the House and Senate are reintroducing a bill that has been brought before the legislature several times in the past twelve years. The bills are to require insurance companies to allow a minimum 48 hour stay for such a surgery. This bill has never gotten out of committe and to a vote.

The bill was reintroduced on March and is currently in committee in both the House and Senate

Seattle_JiLLn

wait. I just read that site and it says the law would STOP "drive through" mastectomies.  It's not that congress would require them.  It sounds like there are some places that do it and this bill would stop it.

newbiewed

I should have done more research..  I was just so shocked that a mastectomy could have the possibility of less than a 2 day hospital stay.  Thanks Preston - that makes more sense. 

Still think we could help by voicing our opinion...