Alarming Trends Prompt American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) to Join Breast Implant Safety Alliance (BISA) Advocates on Capitol Hill
BISA Representatives Maria Gmitro, Sarah Beckcom and Jennifer Cook on the steps of Capitol Hill - June 14, 2023.
BISA leadership, in partnership with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), attended a highly successful “Hill Day” on June 14, 2023, in Washington, D.C., aimed at educating members of Congress on the alarming trends involving the most common cancer caused by breast implants called Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
During the visit, BISA members Maria Gmitro, President, Sarah Beckcom, Vice President, and Jennifer Cook, Director of BIA-ALCL Advocacy, were joined by ASPS Representatives Patrick Hermes, Director of Government Relations, Political Affairs, and Health & Pay (ASPS), and Matt Duckworth, Vice President, Government Relations (Hart Health Strategies Inc).
The purpose of the meetings was to alert members of Congress about the worsening problem of some patients being denied insurance coverage for cancer treatment because their policy does not cover cosmetic breast implant surgery and thus does not cover consequences–even cancer–that may develop from it. Most–if not all–of these patients were never warned of the risk of these cancers, making these denials even more egregious. Patients and healthcare professionals should receive appropriate warnings about potential cancer risks associated with breast implants.
Meetings were held with legislative aides for the following members of Congress: Senator Jon Ossoff (GA), Senator John Boozeman (AR), Senator Tim Scott (SC), Senator Ralphael Warnock (GA), Representative Nancy Mace (SC), Representative Barry Loundermilk (GA), and Representative Steve Womack (AR).
During the meetings, the BISA team shared the recent article, “Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma and the obligation of insurance providers,” about a Mayo Clinic patient initially denied coverage for cancer treatment after her BIA-ALCL diagnosis. The absurdity of the denial was explained as follows:
“Insurers do not cover the purchase of cigarettes. However, the treatment of lung cancer related to cigarette use is universally covered. Many common medical afflictions in the United States—hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, cancer—are related at least in part to modifiable risk factors. More simply put, such conditions are often the result of our own actions. Nevertheless, the expectation is that treatment for these conditions is a covered benefit under our insurance policy. It is, after all, why we pay for insurance in the first place.” (1)
Jennifer Cook, Director of BIA-ALCL Advocacy and a BIA-ALCL cancer survivor shared her personal story and experiences as a patient navigator related to this cancer, highlighting its impact on women’s health. According to Jennifer Cook, “I did my best to highlight the fact that delays in coverage–even if eventually overturned–could be life threatening. I also emphasized that BIA-ALCL appears to be the only cancer for which insurance companies are denying cancer treatment coverage full stop based on a policy exclusion. I believe the fact that insurance companies are singling out a cancer that exclusively impacts women is a form of sex discrimination, which makes the behavior even more legally and morally troubling.”
BISA’s Vice President, Sarah Beckcom, also shared her experience with the recalled Allergan Biocell breast implants and her personal insurance denial for issues related to BIA-ALCL that resulted in over $18,000 out-of-pocket expenses. "As implant related cancers continue to rise, we expect to see more and more cases of insurance denials. Getting ahead of it is key to ensuring these cases don't become the new normal. This currently appears to be the ONLY cancer not being covered by some insurance companies. As someone who was denied insurance coverage, this shift shows that the ASPS is not only monitoring the issue but also pushing for change,” said Sarah Beckcom.
NEXT STEPS
BISA plans to gather more information on the insurance companies and policy types involved in the denials, including frequency. Once collected, we believe members of Congress will help us engage directly with insurance companies to understand their position better and work towards a solution.
Maria Gmitro, BISA’s President, stated, "I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with lawmakers and advocate with members of ASPS. I hope our conversations will lead to solutions and meaningful change. We appreciate the support from ASPS on this matter in particular, and we hope they will continue to partner with BISA in the future and build upon a relationship that has grown considerably over the past 4 years. It has been a struggle to find support for patients facing this cancer, and we believe all women deserve timely and affordable access to care, especially for a cancer they were never warned about.”
HAVE YOU BEEN DENIED?
If you or someone you know has been denied insurance coverage for cancer treatment after a diagnosis of BIA-ALCL or another implant-associated cancer, please contact Jennifer Cook, BISA’s Director of BIA-ALCL Advocacy at Jennifer.Cook@bisanonprofit.org.
Communicating your story and how you were impacted is critical to creating change. If an insurance coverage denial for cancer treatment is ongoing, we can also share ideas, resources, and the names of individuals and organizations that might be helpful in appealing the decision.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
(1) Teven CM, Rosenthal AC, Pockaj BA. Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma and the obligation of insurance providers. Breast J. 2020 Oct;26(10):2110-2111. doi: 10.1111/tbj.13893. Epub 2020 May 20. PMID: 32436271. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32436271/
ASPS: Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)
BISA: Is BIA-ALCL a Common Risk of Exposure to Allergan Biocell® Implants?
FDA: Questions and Answers about Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)
FDA: Things to Consider Before Getting Breast Implants
Breast Implant Safety Alliance (BISA) is a 501(c)3 women-owned nonprofit, patient-centered organization dedicated to improving breast implant safety and awareness—through direct collaboration with consumers, medical professionals, manufacturers, regulators, and advocates. BISA is a 100% volunteer organization not funded by implant manufacturers.
Contact: Maria Gmitro, President | 843.501.6873 | maria@bisanonprofit.org