[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23494]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              BREAST CANCER PATIENT PROTECTION ACT OF 2007

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                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 29, 2008

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
758, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007. This important 
legislation will ensure that patients have the health care they need 
following breast cancer surgery.
  In America, there are more than 2.4 million women living with breast 
cancer. In 2007, more than 178,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer 
were diagnosed. The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act would help 
ensure that these patients will have adequate support after breast 
cancer surgery by guaranteeing a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours for 
a woman having a mastectomy or lumpectomy and 24 hours for a woman 
undergoing a lymph node removal. Anyone who has watched a loved one 
fight this illness understands that the last thing any woman should be 
doing at that time is fighting with her insurance company.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 
758. With millions of women in American being affected by this horrible 
disease, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act will ensure they have 
access to adequate medical support after their surgery.

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