March 21, 2013 from 5-7 pm at Meridian Park Hospital CHEC center will be a an event promoting awareness for breast cancer reconstruction and other breast cancer rights/options. BRAVE stands for Breast Restoration Advocacy Education.
The idea is to let people know that there is a federal law that states that if an insurance company pays for mastectomy then by law it must pay for reconstruction. Alaska Airlines and Starbucks are sponsors with Legacy Health Systems promoting also. There will be a celebrity bra signing and speakers. There will be music, food and other events.
“Every day, I am amazed that women still do not know about the federal law regarding breast cancer reconstruction.
The law states that if an insurance company pays for mastectomy, then they must also pay for breast reconstruction for that side. They must even pay for surgery to the other side to make it match and for the creation of nipples.
Many women think that because they had their mastectomy 10 years ago, that it is too late for reconstruction and that is simply not true. They can have reconstruction almost any time after mastectomy. Also any people think that this is cosmetic but it is not. It is for reconstruction….for restoration.”—Dr. Elisa Burgess, Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon
