Congress Votes to End Drive-Through Mastectomies

Press Release

Congress Votes to End Drive-Through Mastectomies

House passes DeLauro's Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act (H.R. 758), introduced by Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3). The vote was 421-2.

"Mom, aunt, grandma, sister, the friend from kindergarten - this is the name of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer. And it is each and every one of them who stand here with me today as this Congress sends a strong message that when a patient undergoes a mastectomy, a fight with her insurance company about a hospital stay is not part of the package," said DeLauro.

The legislation would allow a woman and her doctor to decide whether she should recuperate from a mastectomy or lumpectomy for at least 48 hours in the hospital or whether she has enough support to get quality care at home.

"Almost everyone knows someone who has suffered from this disease and that when a patient undergoes breast cancer surgery, it is not just physically traumatic, but emotionally traumatic as well. The last thing a breast cancer patient needs is to experience what Alva Williams went through. Alva's insurance company would not cover an overnight hospital stay and several hours after her surgery was sent home, where she developed an infection that delayed her chemotherapy (please click here to read Alva's testimony before the Energy and Commerce Committee)," continued DeLauro.

"That is what the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act is all about - it says that when it comes to mastectomies and lumpectomies, adequate recovery time in the hospital should not be negotiable. It does not mandate a 48 hour hospital stay - if a patient chooses to go home sooner, 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 in favor of a shorter or longer hospital stay will be made by the patient and her doctor, and not an insurance company."

The legislation has 223 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) have introduced companion legislation, which has 19 cosponsors. Additionally, a petition at myLifetime.com calling for passage of the bill has been signed nearly 23 million times. It is also supported by high profile organizations, including BreastCancer.org, Susan G. Komen, CT Breast Cancer Coalition Foundation, and the American Cancer Society (please click here to view the support letters).

Added DeLauro, "This day has been a long-time in the making - over a decade - and I want to thank my colleague Chairman John Dingell, with whom I introduced the very first version of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. It is his partnership - and that of our colleagues - Chairmen George Miller, Charlie Rangel, Frank Pallone, Pete Stark and Rob Andrews - who helped make this day and this vote possible."

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