[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 14 (Monday, January 25, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E66-E67]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     REINTRODUCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE BREAST RECONSTRUCTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 25, 2021

  Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the 
Comprehensive Breast Reconstruction Act. This legislation will bring 
Medicaid and Medicare programs into compliance with the Women's Health 
and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, and will expand post-mastectomy breast 
reconstruction patients' access to modern and innovative procedures, 
products, and therapies to support their return to a healthy normal.
  In 2020 alone, almost 280,000 new instances of breast cancer were 
estimated to have been diagnosed, and anticipated deaths from breast 
cancer were over 42,000. However, the breast cancer survival rate has 
steadily increased faster than the rate of new diagnoses, which is 
believed to be related to

[[Page E67]]

new treatments and procedures, such as early detection screening.
  My legislation builds on past advancements and successes to heal the 
whole patient following a medically-necessary mastectomy. Deciding to 
receive a mastectomy is undoubtedly an emotional decision in an 
impossible situation. In order to alleviate the toll this decision has 
on breast cancer patients, breast reconstruction is an option for them 
to build a sense of well-being and confidence as well as regain a sense 
of wholeness.
  More patients are opting for breast reconstruction, with over 107,000 
in 2019, a 36 percent growth since 2000. Unfortunately, many patients 
face a complex landscape of what exactly a breast reconstruction 
entails, and laws and policies intended to provide healthcare coverage 
for this procedure are antiquated and do not account for advances in 
this area.
  My legislation will establish a more uniform and comprehensive breast 
reconstruction process that can be tailored to fit each patient's 
needs. Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries will be guaranteed access to 
post-mastectomy reconstruction under the Women's Health and Cancer 
Rights Act and by expanding coverage to include nipple-areola complex 
tattoos for those who elect to undergo this procedure. The goal is to 
expand access to scientifically proven healthcare that increase patient 
well-being and satisfaction with their results.
  Madam Speaker, breast reconstruction and the nipple-areola complex 
tattoo are not about cosmetic change. They are about holistic outcomes 
and choice in what the patient and provider decide is best physically, 
emotionally, and mentally to attain the ideal outcome and long-term 
health.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this long-overdue 
legislation.

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