Cammack and Dingell unveil bipartisan bill to advance women’s healthcare coverage and care for breast cancer survivors

Press release from U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) introduced the Advancing Women’s Health Coverage Act, bold bipartisan legislation to modernize the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (WHCRA) and ensure every breast cancer survivor has access to comprehensive, up-to-date reconstructive care.

“Women should be fighting cancer rather than insurance companies. Every woman battling breast cancer deserves access to the best care modern medicine can offer — not limits based on outdated insurance codes & bureaucratic red tape,” said Rep. Cammack. “For too long, survivors have been denied coverage for proven reconstructive options that restore confidence, dignity, and quality of life. This bill puts patients back in charge, ensuring their recovery, health, and confidence aren’t dictated by a system stuck in the 1990s.”

“Every person diagnosed with breast cancer deserves access to the full range of options that support their recovery. Reconstructive surgery is not just about appearance — it’s a part of the healing process that helps patients recover both physically and emotionally,” said Rep. Dingell. “By closing insurance loopholes, this bill not only expands access to comprehensive reconstructive care but also provides breast cancer survivors the dignity of choice in their treatment journey.”

“These changes ensure no breast cancer patient is left behind when it comes to accessing the best possible reconstructive care,” said C. Bob Basu, MD, MBA, MPH, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “This legislation empowers patients with the reconstruction and recovery resources they deserve.” 

“The updates are not just about procedures, but about patient autonomy and choice,” said Babak Mehrara, MD, President of The Plastic Surgery Foundation. “Modernization ensures breast cancer patients are fully supported with care from diagnosis through recovery.” 

“Access to reconstructive surgery after mastectomy is an essential part of mastectomy care for those patients who make the deeply personal decision to choose reconstruction. For over 25 years, the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act has ensured patients have coverage for reconstructive surgery, but it is past time that our laws reflect the rights of patients to full, modern mastectomy and post-mastectomy care,” says Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. “Modernizing this law to guarantee affordable access to needed services after mastectomy – whether that be chest wall reconstruction, breast reconstruction, or the use of breast prostheses – is an important opportunity for all stakeholders to come together and support the breast cancer community. Susan G. Komen applauds Representatives Cammack, Dingell, Van Duyne, McBath, Hinson, McClain Delaney, Kim, and Pettersen for their leadership in bringing coverage into the 21st century by introducing the Advancing Women’s Health Coverage Act.” 

Additional original co-sponsors of the bill include Representatives April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03), Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02), Young Kim (R-CA-07), Laurel Lee (R-FL-15), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Brittany Petterson (D-CO-07), and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24).

The Advancing Women’s Health Coverage Act:

• Expands coverage to include all recognized breast reconstruction options — from implant-based procedures to advanced microsurgical and combination techniques.
• Protects patients by guaranteeing coverage for all reconstruction procedures listed under the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS Level I).
• Empowers survivors with insurance coverage for flat closure, symmetrical reconstruction, and custom prostheses.
• Improves access by requiring at least one in-network provider for every recognized reconstruction modality.
• Protects medical judgment, prohibiting insurance denials that override physicians’ expertise while preserving flexibility in rate negotiations.
• Drives accountability through a GAO study assessing ongoing gaps and disparities in reconstructive care.

Closing Gaps, Advancing Care

More than 300,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. While medical innovation has transformed reconstructive surgery, outdated insurance codes have not kept pace — leaving many survivors without access to the procedures their doctors recommend.

Originally enacted over 25 years ago, the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act was a pioneering step toward fairness in coverage. The Advancing Women’s Health Coverage Act builds on that legacy, ensuring that federal law reflects today’s medical standards and every survivor’s right to full recovery.

Supported by multiple cancer advocacy and medical associations, the bill will be referred to the Education and Workforce Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee, and Ways and Means Committee.