TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction A1 - Wolter, Keith G. A1 - Agarwal, Jayant A2 - Morita, Shane Y. A2 - Balch, Charles M. A2 - Klimberg, V. Suzanne A2 - Pawlik, Timothy M. A2 - Posner, Mitchell C. A2 - Tanabe, Kenneth K. PY - 2018 T2 - Textbook of Complex General Surgical Oncology AB - Over the past 40 years, breast restoration following breast removal for cancer has been transformed from a rarity to the standard of care in major U.S. cancer centers. Concurrent with this development have been changes in extirpative surgical practices, medical and radiologic cancer treatments, and financial and political factors impacting the management of breast cancer. Significant among the latter was the passage of the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) in 1998. This federal law was inspired by the case of a woman from Long Island, New York who was denied breast reconstruction coverage by her insurer on the grounds that the company considered it to be a “cosmetic” rather than “medically necessary” operation. The WHCRA mandates that health insurance companies and group health plans which cover mastectomies must also provide coverage of mastectomy-related procedures, including breast reconstruction surgery, prostheses, and procedures to restore symmetry in the contralateral breast.1 The practical implication of this law is that, with few exceptions, every woman who now undergoes a mastectomy covered by her insurer also has coverage for subsequent breast reconstructive procedures. The authors feel strongly that every woman who undergoes a mastectomy should at minimum be offered a consultation with a reconstructive surgeon to discuss the possibility of breast reconstruction, preferably prior to any breast surgery so as to optimize the eventual outcome. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - hemonc.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1145765721 ER -