Your at your annual check up and the doctor has just confirmed your worst fears; You have a lump! Your mouth goes dry and for a moment the rest of your life passes before your eyes, as all those horrific stories only before imagined, with a diagnosis of breast cancer, comes flying into your mind.

You take the doctors advice and schedule the procedure they recommend. Lumpectomy, biopsy, etc.. What ever you need, you will do to save your life! And then, before the results are even back, your booted from hospital. Your mouth goes dry, for a moment your quality of life passes before your eyes as all those horrific stories you have read about insurance companies callousness, becomes a reality in this, the most frightening moment of your life! The hospital claims they need the bed. Your insurance doesn't cover a non-invasive procedure overnight stay, etc...
And suddenly you recall every HMO joke you've ever heard. Now you wish you had paid more attention to all those investigative news reports about bean counters and the quality of American health care, as this becomes your new reality.


2005 Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act (& Petition @ Lifetimetv.com)

(Excerpt)The bills protections for women facing breast cancer include:

*A second opinion. This bill assures a patient of a second opinion for any cancer diagnosis. A cancer diagnosis must be reliable.


*Inpatient coverage. The bill provides that a health care provider cannot limit hospital stays for a mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery to less than 48 hours, and also assures a 24-hour stay for lymph node dissection.


*Support for lumpectomy treatment. This bill requires coverage for radiation therapy for patients undergoing lumpectomy. Together with the assurance of inpatient care, this act removes the economic incentive for a woman to select mastectomy simply to reduce the immediate cost of treatment.

*LINK* To the S.910 (The Breast Cancer Patients Protection Bill)


This legislation will help to alleviate those fears, and take the next step in insuring patients rights.
Please, take the time to make your mark and sign this petition . Contact your representative's and/or congress person by phone or letter. For the love of women, for the sake of our future, please open your hearts and let your voice be heard, before breast cancer breaks the heart of so many other of our sisters, and in the memory of those who's voices are now forever silent.

*Edit* Per Rizzle's question: You may sign the petition @ the LifetimeTV link, by scrolling down the page. Lifetime will not release your information to any outside source. It is strictly for the furtherance of this petition.

I've signed it.

Couldn't find any thing on prostate cancer though.....

All forms of cancer are uniquely terrible. My own mother survived cancer and so I have experienced the horror that it comes with first hand.

Very worthy. I clicked the link and went to the page. How do we sign ? Edited my joke

That joke wasn't in the best of taste, ForRizzle....

Thank you. And bless your mother's strength, that she is a survivor of the dread disease. I wish my mom could have lived to be counted as one among her number.

Blessings,
GW

And thank you for referencing prostate cancer legislation. The National Cancer Institute's State Cancer Legislative Database *LINK* provides access to cancer-related legislation on these topics:

tobacco
breast cancer
genetics
cervical cancer
prostate cancer
colorectal cancer
ovarian cancer
cancer registries
testicular cancer
access to state-of-the-art treatment

Thank you.

And I'm very sorry to hear about your mother

It should be noted that something like 2% of breast cancer sufferers are men also......

Thats a minority, but it does happen....

Indeed, Subby

That is correct. This bill will also provide protection to men who suffer this diagnosis.

Thank you for addressing that issue Subtemporate. *LINK* Medline Plus.com Men's breast cancer information and support

Also, per Walkens earlier comment , I thought this *LINK* & Parliamentary Highlights, would be of assistance to those members who live in Great Britain.
Particularly this: (Excerpt) Cancer Screening - Mussa Report


The European Parliament voted to encourage Member States to do more to combat cancer, particularly sharing best practice on three cancer screening tests.
Since the establishment of the Europe Against Cancer Programme in 1985, cancer rates have dropped overall by 10%. However, it is estimated that approximately one European in four will die of cancer. This report recommends increasing the availability of a number of important tests to identify cancer: PAP smear screening for cervical abnormalities starting between the ages of 20-30; mammography screening for breast cancer in women aged 50-69; and faecal occult blood screening for bowel cancer in men and women aged 50-74. Other tests may also be recommended once research shows that they meet the criteria for organised cancer screening, for example the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test for prostate cancer.

John Bowis MEP said "Cures for cancer are still being sought, but year by year we see progress. The formerly unmentionable disease has, to some extent, overcome the stigma, not least because of advances in medical science giving hope to patients and families. These depend on early diagnosis, which comes from screening. (Cont'd @ link)

It is not just breast cancer that women need to worry about- my mother died of Cervix Cancer.

Every year, I donate as much money as I can for cancer research in her memory.

Our family also donates to the American Cancer fund.
The petition is a good idea.

Thanks for posting this GoddessWhispers. I have also signed the petition, I think anything that can help somebody out in an such an unfortunate situation should be given as much press as possible. Thanks again, it's a wonderful idea.

My mother does 'Race for Life' every year, to raise money for Breast Cancer treatments. A large number of women across the country also take part in it.

My grandmother died of cancer of the womb, so indeed, it is not just breast cancer that is the killer.

Very sorry to hear about your mother, Walken, and all the other unfortunate souls who have had family members who have/had cancer, and they themselves. It is a terrible illness.

Signed! Thank you for posting this.

I wear a pink ribbon and so does my car....

I won't go into it but this subject has been part of my life since I was a wee one....