Flying with the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)

Today I received a notice about the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA). It was implemented in 1988 to protect women who have mastectomies. I did not even know it existed. Unfortunately the amount of women getting breast cancer has made me take notice. Basically, the act states that most group health insurance plans that cover mastectomies must cover breast reconstruction.

Okay, that seems like common sense to me, but maybe someone somewhere (probably male) did not think that having only one or no breasts was an issue. I bet if we were discussing penises, the thoughts would be very different. (Yes, I know we could go on and on with topics like that. I always question why Viagra is covered and birth control isn't. Last night I found out that it is even covered through Medicaid! I will get off of my soap box now and save this topic for another time).

Back to the WHCRA, the act stipulates that mastectomy benefits must cover:

reconstruction of the breast that was removed by mastectomy
surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to make the breasts look symmetrical or balanced after mastectomy
any external breast prostheses (breast forms that fit into your bra) that are needed before or during the reconstruction
any physical complications at all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedema

Hopefully you will never have to be concerned about this act, but the statistics say that a lot of us will. It is important to know your rights BEFORE you have to exercise them.

Read more about the WHCRA at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_3_2X.asp