The Texas legislature has introduced a bill to be entitled an act that, if passed into law, will ensure that patients are informed about their options in reconstructive breast surgery.
With the amendment of section 311.004, the health and safety code in the State of Texas would include requirements to notify patients undergoing certain breast surgery about reconstructive surgery and the availability of insurance coverage for these procedures.
The act applies to hospitals that provide mastectomy, lumpectomy or lymph node dissection. Hospitals in Texas would need to provide written information on breast reconstruction options prior to obtaining consent for these procedures.
Such information would include descriptions of:
- Options in reconstructive breast surgery procedures
- Advantages and disadvantages involved with each method
- Provisions regarding private and public health insurance coverage
- Steps the patient can take when accessing care for reconstructive surgery
You can read more about the bill from Texas Legislature Online. If you support the bill and believe that patients should be fully informed about breast reconstruction, we encourage you to contact your representative in the Texas legislature and tell them you support this bill.
