Breast Cancer PPA

[Slappie 9]

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act

I'm serious about this one. Everyone please go sign the petition at http://www.lifetimetv.com/health/breast_mastectomy_pledge.html there was a lady in my office who had one done in 03 and was sent home like it was out-patient surgery. With the drainage tubes, one fell out the other got infected. She has now gone thru recronstructive surgery in Nov 04. She just got back to work this month. This is a serious matter and insurance companies need to be held acctountable for it.

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There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home hours after surgery against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached. Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!!!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below and help women living with breast cancer get the care they need and deserve!!

Lifetime Petition

For you "Nay Sayers" Snopes

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[flyangel2 2]

After my surgery I was sent home because I wanted out of the damn hospital.

Ugh........I'm sorry, but I'm so sick of seeing this brought to public attention. It's just a way for people to jump on a band wagon. No doctor in his right mind is going to send a patient home if there is a problem.

Did your friend not see there were some problems happening with her tube before it fell out and pick up a phone and call the doctor's office? Hell, I checked my tube every few hours to make sure everything was okay. The tube just doesn’t “fall out.”

Maybe I just don't buy into all this because I have taken a very active role in my treatments. No doctors have even just patted me on the head and told me that they will take care of me. I have looked them straight in the eye and told them what I wanted.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[Slappie 9]

Well I'm not going to argue about it. I just wanted to get this on the boards.

Insurance companies can and DO send patients home after surgery. If you elect to stay they will not pay....

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[flyangel2 2]

Why should insurance companies pay if your doctor says it's okay to go home, and you want to stay?

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Actually Mar I'd have to agree with Slappie on some parts to this...not having been in this specific circumstance, but definitely having been in a situation where my doctor had to flat out tell me, "I don't think it's in your best interest to leave the hospital at this point...however, your insurance company will only pay for 'X' hours in our unit, and the rest will be on you...

On me?? We're talking thousands of dollars! My doc at that point (if memory serves) basically WAYYYY over emphasized the need for care in a different respect just so I could stay a tiny bit longer. Something to the effect of 'exhibits some difficulty breathing' or such.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[flyangel2 2]

So what you are saying is that the doctor made a few notes (lied?) on your chart to extend your stay and the insurance company paid? Your doctor had some concerns about your health and made a point that you stay in the hospital. (don’t you think it was to protect his butt too?)

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My doc at that point (if memory serves) basically WAYYYY over emphasized the need for care in a different respect just so I could stay a tiny bit longer. Something to the effect of 'exhibits some difficulty breathing' or such.

Maybe the doctor could write a note on a chart that states something along the lines of "Concerned with infection where tube is located. Need to stay in order for more observation."

I’d like to hear from some kind of insurance claim adjuster on all this.


Bottom line, each person is different, I want out of a hospital as soon as possible. Other people feed on all the attention. Passing some kind of law that says that women have to stay over night in the hospital when having breast surgery is BS.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[kelel01 1]

To be fair, it doesn't require that the patient stay . . . it requires that the insurance company cover it, should an overnight stay be necessary or recommended.

[flyangel2 2]

Yes, that's what I meant to say. Thanks for making that clear.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[Slappie 9]

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Passing some kind of law that says that women have to stay over night in the hospital when having breast surgery is BS.

You are glossing over the issue. It's not stating you "HAVE" to stay. It's stating the Insurnace company HAS to pay for up to 48-hours of post opertaive treament. No where is it saying the patient HAS TO STAY if the doctor thinks you can go home and you want to.

It's all about forcing the insurance industry to pay the bills and give patients and doctors the right to treatment.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[flyangel2 2]

My choice in words was wrong; I hope you saw the post above yours.

Can anyone show that all insurance companies do this? My mother stay passed her 48 hours when she had her breast surgery, and the insurance company paid. Don't you think that if there are complications the insurance company is going to cover the stay?

My worry is that some times a stay pass 24 hours isn't necessary and there will be some people that abuse the company paying for the 48 hour stay, then the insurance company has to pay for it, just cause they wanted to stay and get that extra attention.

Again, if there is a complication, by all means stay, if there isn't, get out.

Is there an insurance agent that can answer the question, if there are complications will the insurance company pay?

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[Slappie 9]

Yes I saw the post after I had posted mine.

As for insurance companies, they're just like people. Everyone is different. Some better then others. Most of us don't have a choice though, because it's supplied by our employer. You get 2 choices at most, go without or take what you're employer is willing to supply.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[kelel01 1]

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Is there an insurance agent that can answer the question, if there are complications will the insurance company pay?

That'll depend on not only what carrier you're with, but the plan design. There's all sorts of regulation in place to require different things-- for example, we sell several policies that cover no well care (well woman care, immunizations for children under 5 included in that definition), but some states require that it be covered. Without a regulation, though, the insurance companies can decide to exclude whatever they wish. I think that's all this would be here to prevent.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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My worry is that some times a stay pass 24 hours isn't necessary and there will be some people that abuse the company paying for the 48 hour stay, then the insurance company has to pay for it, just cause they wanted to stay and get that extra attention.

A valid concern, as the cost would then be passed on to all of the other insureds...

However, I would rather, as an insured that is paying premiums, have a slight increase in my payment to allow for additional stay should the doctor deem it to be medically necessary than to put honest people into the situation I found myself in.

Are there really that many people that would CHOOSE to stay in a hospital longer? Just for the 'attention'? Good grief if there are! I think if a doctor had to certify that it was necessary, it would cut down on any amount of that going on hopefully...but I would be willing to pay for the occassional j/a to give good care when needed to an honest person.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.