Q. What is the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)?
A. The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA), signed into law on October 21, 1998, includes important protections for individuals who elect breast reconstruction in connection with a mastectomy.
WHCRA amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) and is administered by the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.
Under WHCRA, group health plans, insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) offering mastectomy coverage must also provide coverage for reconstructive surgery in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient.
Coverage includes reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy was performed, surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance, and prostheses and treatment of physical complications at all stages of the mastectomy, including lymph edemas.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, FAQ's About Women's Health and Cancer Rights
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