Some of you may have recieved an e-mail about a petition drive to encourage our federal legislators to support changes to the 1997 legislation; Public Law 105-277. I have not seen the e-mail, but the health reporter on the local news was discussing it this afternoon.

Currently, in most instances, a mastectomy is done on an out-patient basis because insurance companies will not pay for a hospital stay. This despite the fact that the AMA considers a mastecomy major surgery.

A drive is underway to amend the legislation to allow women and their doctors the option of at least a minimal stay of 48 to 72 hours. Studies show an overwhelming number of women who suffer complications as the result of out-patient surgery as opposed to those who recieve some care while still at the hospital.

We have had so many dear friends here on the forum who have suffered from this horrible disease and nearly all of us have had a family member or close friend affected by breast cancer. I urge you all to contact your federal legislators and encourage them to support this important legislation currently in committee.

You can read about the legislation here:
http://members.aol.com/BCLEGIS/whcra.html

This is a sample letter:
http://members.aol.com/BCLEGIS/whcra.html

This link will show how to contact legislators by snail mail and e-mail, enter your zip code and info appears:
http://members.aol.com/BCLEGIS/contact.htm

Thank you so much.

Totally note-worthy thanks for posting this informative awareness.

Meg
I remember getting an email on this back before my mastecomy surgery and I talked to my doc/surgeon about it and he did let me stay 2 nights but his fear for me was being on the same floor with of all these patients with contagious illnesses and my body being so fragile after major surgery & he would not of let me stayed beyond the 2 nights...my insurance did pay since it was doc requested for me to stay. I do hope that consideration is made for patients needing the medical attention after these major surgeries. It is good to know they are deciding to do something about this.

There should be a revocery area for surgery patients and to not exposed to the patients with flu or whatever else is there.

Do your hospitals not have separate wings or floor for medical and surgical patients??? that only makes sense, to keep them separate. That's what we have here.

I, too, hope this new legislation goes through.

Gerda

yes, Deb, that is a problem, but more and more hospitals are designating short-term recovery areas for surgical patients for that reason. My mother had only a lumpectomy and they kept her in the surgical wing for almost 48 hours, but that was due to her age. My sister had a complete mastecomy and had to drive herself home that afternoon, because no one knew she wasn't going to be kept overnight. I was furious! Her husband had died and there was no one to care for her once she got home!