R020-9899
10 A RESOLUTION CONCERNING 20 INSURANCE REFORM TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR 30 BREAST CANCER CONCERNS 40 WHEREAS: One out of every eight women will develop breast cancer in their 50 lifetime; and, 60 WHEREAS: Of the over 175,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer every 70 year, 44,000 will die from the disease; and, 80 WHEREAS: Breast cancer impacts not only the women who are diagnosed, but 90 their husbands, families, and friends as well; and, 100 WHEREAS: Men can develop breast cancer too; and, 110 WHEREAS: Early detection is key for the successful treatment of breast cancer; 120 and, 130 WHEREAS: Modern detection methods have surpassed self-examination and 140 simple mammography and now include genetic testing, high 150 resolution ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron 160 emission tomography; and, 170 WHEREAS: Insurance companies are not required by law to pay for these new 180 diagnostic methods; and, 190 WHEREAS: Persons at the highest risk of developing breast cancer are female, 200 over the age of fifty, Caucasian, eat a high fat diet, smoke, drink 210 alcohol, use oral contraceptives, began menstruating early, were 220 over the age of thirty before having children or never had any 230 children, and who demonstrate a family history of breast or 240 reproductive cancer; and, 250 WHEREAS: There are preventative therapies that can be undertaken that may 260 prevent persons that are at a risk for breast cancer from ever 270 developing the disease; and, 280 WHEREAS: These methods include health maintenance through diet and 290 exercise, more frequent diagnostic testing, elective surgery, and 300 drug therapy; and, 310 WHEREAS: Insurance companies are not required to cover some of these 320 preventative therapies; and, 330 WHEREAS: A bone marrow transplant may be necessary for a patient that has 340 developed breast cancer; and, 350 WHEREAS: Some insurance companies classify bone marrow transplants as an 360 experimental procedure in breast cancer treatment; and, 370 WHEREAS: Insurance companies are not required by law to cover experimental 380 medical procedures; and, 390 WHEREAS: 85,000 women undergo mastectomies each year as part of their 400 treatment for breast cancer; and, 410 WHEREAS: A mastectomy is a horribly disfiguring operation; and, 420 WHEREAS: Fear of losing a breast is a leading reason why women do not 430 participate in early breast cancer detection programs; and, 440 WHEREAS: Reconstructive surgery is often an integral part of the mental and 450 physical recovery who undergoes a traumatic amputation of her 460 breast; and, 470 WHEREAS: Reconstructive surgery can also include surgery upon an 480 unamputated breast for the purposes of enhancing shape and 490 symmetry; and, 500 WHEREAS: Many insurance companies classify this important medical 510 procedure as cosmetic; and, 520 WHEREAS: Most insurance companies will not pay for procedures classified as 530 cosmetic; and, 540 WHEREAS: The mental health of the patient and their family during and after 550 treatment for breast cancer can be distressed; and, 560 WHEREAS: The full mental recovery of the patient from the trauma of breast 570 cancer is as important as their physical recovery; and, 580 WHEREAS: The mental recovery of the patient and their family might be 590 accelerated by professional counseling in a group or private 600 setting; and, 610 WHEREAS: Insurance companies are not required to cover psychological 620 treatment of the patient and their family during and following their 630 battle with breast cancer; and, 640 WHEREAS: Chemotherapy and radiation are common treatments for breast 650 cancer; and, 660 WHEREAS: These treatments have many negative side effects including weight 670 gain or loss, nausea, hair loss, fatigue, and mental distress; and, 680 WHEREAS: Alternative therapies including holistic treatments, massage, diet, 690 exercise, and meditation have been shown to be effective in 700 hastening the healing process of breast cancer patients; and, 710 WHEREAS: These therapies may also help to combat the side effects of the 720 more aggressive chemical treatments; and, 730 WHEREAS: Many insurance companies will not defray the costs of alternative 740 treatments and therapies; and, 750 WHEREAS: Insurance companies have developed a system of limiting the 760 number of days that a patient may stay after undergoing a medical 770 procedure; and, 780 WHEREAS: In cases of cancer treatments, mastectomies, and reconstructive 790 surgeries the possibilities of infection and/or complications are 800 present that could have very negative effects on the recovery of the 810 patient; and, 820 WHEREAS: These complications could be fatal if left untreated; and, 830 WHEREAS: The cost of staying in the hospital is prohibitive if you do not have 840 insurance coverage; and, 850 WHEREAS: A patientās doctor is the only person who is medically qualified to 860 determine the health of the patient and their ability to return to 870 their home following these medical procedures. 880 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Maryland Student Legislature 890 hereby encourages our professional legislators to pass legislation 900 that requires insurance companies to provide coverage for: 910 (1.) alternative methods of diagnosing breast cancer, 920 and, 930 (2.) aggressive preventative therapy for those women at 940 high risk of developing breast cancer, and, 950 (3.) bone marrow transplants as an acceptable treatment 960 for breast cancer, and, 970 (4.) reconstructive surgery on one or both breasts 980 following a mastectomy to produce normal shape 990 and symmetry, and, 1000 (5.) the professional counseling of the patient and their 1010 family both during and after treatment for breast 1020 cancer, and, 1030 (6.) alternative treatments and therapies to hasten 1040 healing and combat the side effects of chemical 1050 therapies; and, 1060 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Maryland Student Legislature 1070 strongly encourages the repeal of all insurance limitations on the 1080 length of a patientās hospital stay in cases where these limitations 1090 are determined by the patientās doctor to be dangerous to the 1100 overall health and recovery of the patient; and, 1110 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Maryland Student Legislature 1120 identifies itself as a body that is sensitive to the need for reform on 1130 key womenās issues, and is dedicated to identifying and 1140 implementing these changes whenever it is in our power to do so. 1150 MANDATES: Betsy Lang÷Cumberland Valley Y-Me Support Group 1160 Governor Parris N. Glendenning 1170 Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend 1180 Frances Hughes Glendening 1190 United States Senator Barbara A. Mikulski 1200 Maryland Senator Donald Munson 1210 Maryland Delegate John Donoghue Sponsor: Jessica L. Aiken Frostburg State University 19226 Jamestown Drive Hagerstown, MD 21742 (301) 791-5104 j.aiken@excite.com