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Preparing for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
September 12, 2022
Categories: Breast Cancer, Business, Custom Breast Prosthesis, Legislation, Let Her Decide
It’s mid-September, and that means it’s time to start preparing your shop for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) in October. Whether it be sponsoring or participating in events and fundraisers in your local community or making yourself the go-to source for information in your community by posting Breast Cancer Awareness Month-related posts, take advantage of this opportunity to ask for support of the legislation that affects your patients and your business, including the Breast Cancer
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Mastectomy Services: The Hidden Gem Among DMEPOS
July 11, 2022
Categories: Business, Custom Breast Prosthesis, Essential News
The mastectomy market continues to grow; however, there is still a huge need for additional providers of post-mastectomy supplies. Once thought of as a loss leader, mastectomy can be a profit center in your business. Demand for Post-Mastectomy Products Is High Breast cancer became the most common cancer globally as of 2021, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In 2022, an estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer
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#BreakTheBias with Custom Prosthetics on International Women’s Day
March 8, 2022
Categories: Custom Breast Prosthesis, Essential News
Today is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is an internationally recognized holiday that has been observed since the early 1900s, bringing light to women’s issues across the globe. The global day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Gender parity is about reducing discrimination, bias, and stereotypes against women, promoting equality between men and women. This
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Off-the-Shelf or Custom: Which Would You Choose?
December 8, 2021
Categories: Custom Breast Prosthesis, Legislation, Legislative, Let Her Decide
Every woman has her own unique breast cancer journey. Cheryl’s story is no different. Diagnosed in 2004 with early stage breast cancer on the right side, she underwent a lumpectomy, had radiation treatments, and was in remission for several years. However, in 2015, Cheryl was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer on the right side, which happens to be the same side where she had her mastectomy. During the course of chemo treatments, she kept getting infections at the incision site. The infections
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Spread the Word about Custom Breast Prosthesis During Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 8, 2021
Categories: Breast Cancer, Custom Breast Prosthesis, Legislation
It's already mid-October, and your shop is probably decked out in pink with a flurry of activity from women shopping for their Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) shirts, pins, and gear. As people rush to run in a 5k benefit or ask what they can do to help further the cause, now is a great time to ask people to support the legislation that affects your patients and your business, including the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act and the Lymphedema Treatment Act. Over 3.8 million women in the
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Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act Update: Advocacy in October
September 8, 2021
Categories: Breast Cancer, Custom Breast Prosthesis, Legislation, Let Her Decide
August of Action is officially over, and we are all prepping for the busy season, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During the month of August, Essentially Women hosted a virtual fly-in to discuss the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act with EW members, Senators, and Representatives from several different states. Overall, we had 12 EW members reach out to EW and VGM Government Relations to schedule meetings with their members of Congress. Nine
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Duckworth, Murkowski Re-Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Coverage for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors
June 15, 2021
Categories: Custom Breast Prosthesis, Legislation, Let Her Decide
June 15, 2021 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act of 2021 would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses—which, unlike other prosthetic devices, are not currently covered by Medicare—to
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With Breast Cancer, Time Doesn't Always Heal Wounds
June 8, 2021
Categories: Custom Breast Prosthesis, Essential News, Legislation, Legislative, Let Her Decide, radiation
Time is a precious commodity that you cannot buy or get back. Sometimes it’s time to act and sometimes it’s time to be patient. Renee Firato’s cancer journey is all about time, taking your time, the timing of surgeries, and the timing of life events. As she was just about to graduate from high school, Renee had her wisdom teeth removed and did not recover well, which ended up leading to the discovery of acute myelogenous leukemia. Within one week of getting her port placed on
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Chu & Walorski Re-Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Coverage for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors
May 11, 2021
Categories: Breast Cancer, Custom Breast Prosthesis, Essential News, Legislation, Legislative, Let Her Decide
May 11, 2021 WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Jackie Walorski (IN-2) today re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses, the only human body part not currently covered by Medicare, to the more than 144,000 women who undergo mastectomies annually. “Breast
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A Journey from Bilateral Mastectomy to Breast Reconstruction to Going Flat
May 11, 2021
Categories: Custom Breast Prosthesis, Essential News, Legislation, Let Her Decide
Mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries are not completed without risk to the patient. Approximately 33% of women who opt for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy have surgical complications and 20% require more surgery. Jamie Lee is one of these statistics. Diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 as a wife and mother of two young children, Jamie decided she had a lot of life to live post-mastectomy. However, little did she know that a decision to try surgical breast reconstruction would