Second Act Mastectomy Boutique

Happy 4th of July to everyone from our team at Second Act Cancer Recovery Boutique, Stevie, Pattie and Alyssa.

May 22, 1976. Hard to remember being this young and thin. The marriage didn't last but it was a good party. When Cagney married Sheehan you had to have the Shannon Rovers. Check out the 1976 couture, and my father with the movie camera. Our parents looked so much older than we did at their age. My mom was 51 and my dad 53.

Check out my article on page 26 in the latest issue of Breast Cancer Wellness magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/nvtea/amye/ =1 . Lots of other great information as well.

Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine Winter 2023 Issue

It's FCS quarterfinals tonight on ESPN2. Go GRIZ! I'm wearing my lucky sox.

In case you missed it, or live out of town, here's the link to yesterday's appearance on NBC5 Chicago.

Chicago boutique helping breast cancer patients with their post-mastectomy bodies Some studies suggest that 60% of women who undergo mastectomies opt not to have reconstructive surgery, and a Chicago boutique is dedicated to helping those women on their path forward.

Pon Angara, thank you for this and for your friendship and support these many years.

Chicago boutique helping breast cancer patients with their post-mastectomy bodies Some studies suggest that 60% of women who undergo mastectomies opt not to have reconstructive surgery, and a Chicago boutique is dedicated to helping those women on their path forward.

Lauren Petty, of NBC5 Chicago, discusses post-mastectomy options today at 5:PM.

We were honored to host Lauren Petty at Second Act today, Wed, 10/11/2023. Her interview with founder and Certified Mastectomy Fitter, Pattie Cagney Sheehan, and our special client, Jen Parsio, will air on today's 5:00 PM newscast. We hope you will be watching.

The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act has been reintroduced into Congress. H.R. 4779 would allow women on Medicare to choose a custom breast prosthesis after a mastectomy. Currently a breast prosthesis is the only prosthetic body part that is not covered as a custom item. For more information visit www.peopleforqualitycare.org/letherdecide .

Let Her Decide The Let Her Decide campaign seeks to change the current Medicare guidelines to allow reimbursement for custom prostheses.

Half way through day 3. Fascinating stuff.

U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) have reintroduced the bipartisan H.R. 4779: Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act, which would provide Medicare coverage of custom breast prostheses to breast cancer survivors. Since most private insurance companies follow Medicare coverage standards, passage of this legislation would allow hundreds of thousands of women each year to choose a custom prosthesis after a mastectomy.
“This is great step forward in our efforts to expand access to life-changing healthcare for breast cancer survivors,” said Nikki Jensen, vice president of Essentially Women. “We ask that anyone affected by breast cancer, or anyone who just feels that this is the right thing to do, to please contact your elected officials and show support for the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act.”
Medicare covers many other post-mastectomy treatment options and other custom prosthetic devices; however, custom breast prosthesis is the only prosthetic device not covered by Medicare.
“During such fragile times when women are dealing with the stress and toll of invasive breast cancer, line items of their insurance coverage are the furthest things from their minds,” said Rep. Miller-Meeks. “The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act takes away the burden of calculating the coverage for custom prosthetics and gives access to higher quality implants for patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer that undergo a mastectomy, regardless of their income.”
“Breast cancer survivors who have undergone a mastectomy deserve to have a full range of affordable reconstructive options,” said Rep. Chu. “There are many reasons why breast cancer patients choose not to have reconstructive surgery, and Medicare should not be limiting reasonable options that allow women to feel comfortable after fighting cancer. I’m grateful to be able to work on this bipartisan bill, and I hope we can pass it quickly so cancer survivors can finally have complete freedom of choice.”

Learn more:

Let Her Decide The Let Her Decide campaign seeks to change the current Medicare guidelines to allow reimbursement for custom prostheses.

Dr. Susan Love, Breast Cancer Advocate, Oncologist, Died at 75.

Dr. Susan Love, Breast Cancer Advocate, Oncologist, Died at 75 Dr. Susan Love, founder of the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, died of leukemia.

As women’s health providers, members know the significance of breast cancer screenings and early detection. Recent evidence suggests that initiating screenings at the age of 40 could have significant benefits and an impact on detection and survival rates.

Read more here: https://loom.ly/BFEF_7k

LTA Public Comment Period Information Session The Proposed Rule that will outline coverage details for the implementation of the Lymphedema Treatment Act will soon be available. The rules will specify th...

Several months ago I was able to tell you all that the Lymphedema Treatment Act had passed Congress and will be implemented 1-1-2024. While we are still waiting for details, you can learn more about what we know so far by going here:

About the Lymphedema Treatment Act About the Lymphedema Treatment Act

Our wonderful Ms. Stevie Evans is a CERTIFIED MASTECTOMY FITTER. A little over a year ago she came to Second Act with some experience as a Victoria's Secret sales associate. After a year of commitment, training and hard work she sat for her certification exam on Saturday and passed with flying colors. Welcome to the sisterhood, Stevie. I hope you have a long and fulfilling career.

New guidelines for mammograms. Now recommended that women start at age 40. And while it says "at least" every other year, experts in the field still recommend every year. Also, for those of you who live in Illinois, your radiologist, or doctor, is required to tell you if you have dense breasts and your insurance company is now required to pay for MRIs for those women with dense breast tissue so be aware.

https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20230509/federal-task-force-suggests-mammograms-start-at-40-not-50?ecd=wnl_brc_050923&ctr=wnl-brc-050923_lead_cta&mb=fSLnEhN2cKtPkG87nITqehXFE73IOX1cMr2rjZdt4cY%3D

Federal Task Force Suggest Mammograms Start at 40, Not 50
WEBMD.COM
Federal Task Force Suggest Mammograms Start at 40, Not 50
The task force also called for more research on the effects of racism in breast cancer care, screening tools for dense breast tissue, and treatment options following a DCIS diagnosis.

Federal Task Force Suggest Mammograms Start at 40, Not 50 The task force also called for more research on the effects of racism in breast cancer care, screening tools for dense breast tissue, and treatment options following a DCIS diagnosis.

Thank you, nurses. We sure couldn't do it without you.

Celebrate Nurses Month! This week’s theme is recognition. Raise the visibility of the critical contributions you make and foster a greater understanding of the diversity of the nursing profession by honoring nurses everywhere. This week includes activities, stories, and tributes to commemorate all that nurses and nursing have done to improve health and health care. https://hubs.ly/Q01NK6pz0

Some recent requests for "cranial prostheses" by women who are seeking wigs for chemotherapy hair loss reminded me that it is time for another public service announcement regarding this.

The use of the term “cranial prosthesis” is incorrect when someone actually means wig. The medical definition of a prosthesis is: replacement of a missing body part with an artificial substitute or device. And the medical definition of a cranial prosthesis, specifically, is: permanently implanted artificial biocompatible replacement for bones of the craniofacial skeleton.

When a person calls their insurance company and asks if a cranial prosthesis is covered the insurance company will say yes because a true cranial prosthesis would be covered. But a person getting a wig is not getting a cranial prosthesis, they are getting a wig.

That is why when we call to check benefits for a wig, we ask for coverage information for HCPCS/CPT code A9282, described as "Wig Any Type". This is the only billable and valid code for this item. There is no other billable code, regardless of what you call the item.

If you know someone who is affected by this, or you are a medical professional who writes prescriptions for this item, please stop asking for a cranial prosthesis when you really mean wig.

Last week, President Biden signed the omnibus bill for 2022 which included the Lymphedema Treatment Act. Now that this has been approved Medicare will cover compression garments for lymphedema. I don't know how long it will take for this to be enacted but I will stay on it and let you know. This is a huge victory, 10 years in the making, and is another step towards making sure that everyone is treated fairly and has better access to healthcare.

Now on to Medicare coverage for custom breast prostheses. Did you know that a woman's breast is the only body part that, when removed, is not covered by a custom replacement prosthesis!? If you haven't contacted your US Representative or Senator and asked them to support this legislation, or you would like to know more, go to https://www.peopleforqualitycare.org/letherdecide .

Let Her Decide The Let Her Decide campaign seeks to change the current Medicare guidelines to allow reimbursement for custom prostheses.

10 things that could make your breast cancer treatment easier:

Surprising Things That Help With Breast Cancer Treatment When you have breast cancer, help can come from some unexpected places. WebMD shares a few.

Sure wish when I opened my feed I saw something I wanted to see from someone I knew. Not really interested in what Facebook thinks I want to see

Hey Griz friends. Anyone going to tonight's game?

On 11/17/2022, the House of Representatives passed the Lymphedema Treatment Act. This bill will improve coverage for medical compression supplies necessary for patients suffering from lymphedema.

Currently, Medicare does not cover one of the most critical therapeutic treatments for lymphedema, an incurable disease affecting 3 million Americans. Lymphedema produces an accumulation of fluid and swelling in the extremities of the body caused by damage to the lymphatic system, most commonly caused by lymph node removal and/or radiation treatment in cancer patients. As a result, many patients suffer from recurrent infections, progressive degradation in their condition, and eventual disability, because they cannot afford doctor-prescribed compression garments that alleviate severe swelling and other symptoms of lymphedema. To read more about the Lymphedema Treatment Act, visit lymphedematreatmentact.org

Essentially Women’s vice president, Nikki Jensen, applauds this step, stating, “Providing access to this important first-line therapy is critical to help patients manage their lymphedema and prevent infections which may lead to hospitalization. Urging the Senate to keep the momentum going is a critical step to move this legislation across the finish line.”

This bill will now move on to the Senate. To ensure passage in the Senate, please take a minute to send a message to your Senators asking them to support S.1315.
You can quickly and easily send a message to your Senator!

https://vgm-dc-link.rallycongress.net/ctas/lymphedema-treatment-act-2017

Support the Lymphedema Treatment Act! This legislation would enable Medicare coverage for doctor-prescribed compression therapy supplies which are the foundation for treating this disease.

Just saw photos of the Gala last month for A Silver Lining Foundation. This is me with dear friends Rhonda Kodjayan and David Van Abel

A Silver Lining Gala last Saturday. That's us, table 10. No one seated because we were all up dancing the night away. Good times for a great cause.

It's breast cancer awareness month. The annual Medicare enrollment period is also upon us. Here is a GREAT resource for evaluation Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans:

Quick Guides, Checklists, And Other Materials | Triage Cancer These free Quick Guides & Checklists simplify many of the legal and practical issues impacting the cancer community.