Because it is so widespread, virtually every family in America has been touched by cancer.  My heart goes out to all who face this challenge daily.

Several years ago, I voted for the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, which was signed into law.  The law mandates that insurers that provide benefits for mastectomy must also provide coverage for reconstructive surgery.  Unfortunately, the bill did not require insurance companies to cover a 48-hour hospital stay following a mastectomy.

That is why I am co-sponsoring two bills, H.R. 758 and H.R. 119 that would require a 48-hour stay.  Doctors and their patients should have the final say in how long a patient should be hospitalized following surgery, not insurance companies.  This bill would also require coverage for radiation therapy for patients undergoing a lumpectomy, which helps to ensure that plans cover the treatment option most suitable in each breast cancer patient's case.

Thanks for speaking out on behalf of everyone who is touched by breast cancer.