Because mastectomy should never be an outpatient procedure!

For at least 10 years Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has been trying to get legislation passed in Congress that would mandate insurance companies to pay for at least two nights of hospitalization for women having mastectomies. She has introduced her bill, called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, five times. Each time it has been consigned to languish in committees.

This year she has agan reintroduced the bill. It is HR 758 this time around, and again it has been assigned to several committees. In fact, here's the list of committees to which it has been referred before action can be taken:

The corresponding Senate bill (S. 459 ) has also been assigned to committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Lifetime has a petition in support of this legislation and of course I encourage you to sign it. But sometimes petitions are not enough. Clearly this is one of those times. What we need now is a direct call-in, letter-writing, and email campaign.

Use the "Speak Out" box on the left side bar to locate your Senators and Representative. Call them or email them to tell them, very simply, that you don't think that mastectomy should ever be an outpatient or overnight procedure and that insurance companies should not be allowed to override doctors when it comes to providing proper care for a patient.

Mastectomy surgery is major surgery. Women need the kind of care that can best be provided by nurses and doctors in the days immediately following a mastectomy.

These bills will be allowed to expire in committee again, for the fifth time, if we don't loudly draw attention to the issue.

If you do write, I encourage you to leave a copy of your letter as a comment here. That will help others who want to write but aren't sure how to get started.