{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-blunt-legislation-to-ensure-more-breast-cancer-patients-are-informed-of-post-surgery-treatment-options-passes-with-appropriations-bill", "Brown, Blunt Legislation to Ensure More Breast Cancer Patients are Informed of Post-Surgery Treatment Options Passes with Appropriations Bill", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill Would Help Ensure Breast Cancer Patients are Informed of All Their Options Prior to Surgery\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 18, 2015\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) to ensure all breast cancer patients have access to information about their care, treatment, and reconstruction options passed today as part of the year-end appropriations bill. The bill now heads to the Presidents desk.\r\nToo many women with breast cancer arent informed about their reconstructive options prior to surgery, even though insurance plans that cover breast cancer treatment must also cover reconstruction or prosthetic care, said Brown. This awareness is especially low among women of racial and ethnic minority groups. This law will help improve education and awareness of the treatment options available so women know about all their options prior to surgery.\r\nWomen who face a breast cancer diagnosis are too often left with more questions than answers about their recovery options, Blunt said. This year alone, an estimated 4,600 women in Missouri and 235,000 nationwide will be diagnosed with the disease. This bill will help them chart a course that best fits their needs after surgery. I am proud to see this measure advance, and will continue working to increase breast cancer awareness and education, and accelerate research efforts to find a cure for this disease.\r\nThe Breast Cancer Patient Education Act of 2015 would direct the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to plan and implement an education campaign to inform breast cancer patients of the availability and coverage of breast reconstruction and other options.\r\nAccording to the American Cancer Society, after skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. The disease affects almost one-in-eight women, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. In addition, breast cancer has a disproportionate and detrimental impact on African-American women.In fact, African-American women under the age of 40 have a greater incidence of breast cancer than do Caucasian women of the same age.Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Hispanic women.\r\nThe Womens Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 requires health plans that offer breast cancer coverage to also provide for breast reconstruction and prostheses. But according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, only 33 percent of eligible women with breast cancer undergo breast reconstruction. Research also indicates that nearly 70 percent of women are not informed of all of their care options by their general surgeon prior to surgery.\r\nMinority women were significantly less likely than Caucasians to see a plastic surgeon before initial surgery, were most likely to desire more information about reconstruction, and satisfaction was lowest among minority women without reconstruction. Lower health literacy, financial issues, and less access to plastic surgeons emerged as barriers to reconstruction.\r\nAlthough several states have enacted laws requiring that women receive thorough information on their breast cancer treatment and reconstruction options, women across the United States  including Ohio  deserve access to this vital information. The Breast Cancer Patient Education Act of 2015 will help inform and empower breast cancer patients anticipating surgery, especially patients who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, so that they can make fully-informed health care decisions that best meet their personal needs.\r\nU.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) are cosponsors.\r\n\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tLauren Kulik/Rachel Petri (Brown)Brian Hart (Blunt)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-blunt-legislation-to-ensure-more-breast-cancer-patients-are-informed-of-post-surgery-treatment-options-passes-with-appropriations-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4593829400837421, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}