A friend in Florida has sent me some information about a bill introduced in the House by Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. (D-CT) and currently in Committee review. It is bill number H.R.1886 and is known as the “Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act.” This Bill seeks to require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It is not uncommon for women to be sent home after a mastectomy still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached. Please consider calling, writing, or emailing your Congressperson and Senator to express your support for Bill H.R. 1886, the “Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act”.
“WHO DO I CONTACT TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL?”
The following websites will quickly help you to identify who to contact. The sites are very easy; Simply type in your zip code to learn your government elected officials and their contact information–websites, email addresses, office addresses and phone numbers.
US Senate – you will have 2 in your state-every state does
US Congress – the number of congresspeople depends on your state’s population
“WHAT DO I SAY WHEN I CONTACT MY GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL?”
(There are few things as exciting as calling your government Reps!) Typically, if you call, you’ll be asked your name, your address, the bill number you are calling about, and whether you are pro or con. If you write or email, make sure you include this information. You will probably speak to an aid, not directly with the elected official, but either way tell them if you are registered and actively vote.
“AS A MAN, THESE KINDS OF THINGS AREN’T REALLY MY BUSINESS”
For the men on this email list–those who think this issue does not affect them and who would tend to think of breast cancer issues as a “chick-thing” or not a man’s business, think of the women in your life and how it would affect both their life and yours. Ask yourself what you would do if it were your wife, your girlfriend, your mother or daughter? Is easing a woman’s suffering really a “chick thing” and something that doesn’t involve you? If you found out that a woman in your life had breast cancer, would you not want to try to make things less miserable for her? I would. Cancer will not consider how much you love that special woman in your life. You can, in part, by supporting this worthwhile Bill H.R. 1886.
Please consider expressing your favor for Bill H.R. 1886, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. Call, email, or write your Congressperson and Senator–use the information available at the above websites to find out how to do that–and tell them you favor the Bill H.R. 1886. Not only will you accept your responsibility to participate in our democracy, you will make a difference. Think about it: you may not even have to leave the comfort of your home or office to make this happen, but you will be impacting the lives of men and women across the entire country.
Ricky May
p.s. I’ve researched and found that the Bill is in committee review in both the House and Senate (mirror legislation S.1684 in Senate). I have also not bothered to do any analysis of or research on the estimated impact on health insurance costs as a result of this extended service and my reason for that is simple: I believe some things can’t be justified by money alone. rm
