Legislative

This week, Nikki Jensen and Tom Powers flew to Washington, D.C. to visit 28 offices to advocate for the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act and to ask for legislators to sign on to support the legislation. This visit is the first since S. 562 and H.R. 1370 were introduced in March. Keeping our legislation in front of key committee members is incredibly important. Meeting with their staff allows us to explain the issue and let them know that constituents in their districts are asking for legislation. Currently,

The Essentially Women membership has two pieces of federal legislation already moving in Congress, the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act and the Lymphedema Treatment Act. The Lymphedema Treatment Act is being spearheaded by the Lymphedema Treatment Act Organization.  Medicare does not recognize and acknowledge the role compression plays in the treatment of lymphedema. If passed, this legislation will provide Medicare coverage for all forms of compression, including bandaging supplies,

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in some advocacy training; I learned a lot! (And, that might be the biggest understatement of the year!) The recurring theme of this workshop was "One person can make a difference!" And, that is so true, especially with the Make Me Whole Again campaign.  So far, we have 625 letters sent to members of Congress; we have reached 146 lawmakers across 45 states. Thus far, we have three officially signed onto H.R. 6980. All three of these lawmakers signed

11/5/2018 We have had another great week of advocacy for the Make Me Whole Again campaign, to date we have 606 letters set to Congress. If you watched The Steele Report with Nikki Jensen (VGM - Essentially Women), Jill Roberts (NuCara - New Image Boutique) and Julie Gleason (Unity Point Cancer Center) you know that our window of opportunity of getting this bill passed is very small; so your advocacy efforts - whether they are big or small - are greatly appreciated!  One

In just over a month, over 500 letters have been sent to Congress asking for their support of the Make Me Whole Again Campaign; this is great progress. We officially have 3 members of Congress signed onto H.R. 6980; and many more ready! Today, where we need your support is getting the word out across the nation. I have a simple and easy task for you to help make this happen if you are a Facebook user. Go to https://www.facebook.com/MakeMeWholeAgain Click "Invite Friends" In the

10/22/2018 The Make Me Whole Again campaign had another great week, as of this morning, there are 512 letters sent to members of Congress and over the weekend, we received the official announcement that Rep. Steve King (R - IA) has signed onto H.R. 6980.  Through conversations we have learned that there are many congressmen who are interested in signing the bill; they just need the extra nudge/reminder to do so. That is where you come in!  This week I am asking that you contact

10/15/18 The Make Me Whole Again campaign has grown quite the following over the last week; I attribute much of that success to "word of mouth." As of this morning, we had 440 emails sent to Congress, which is 357 more than last week at this time! Continue to tell all your patients, friends, family members and acquaintances about the campaign. Hand them your phone or device pre-loaded to the campaign's "Take Action" center where they can send a pre-written letter to their member of Congress.  Another

Today, if a woman has mastectomy surgery, her options can be fairly limited. There are off-the-shelf prostheses. But, finding one with the right symmetry isn’t always possible – especially if she has an irregular chest wall following surgery. Reconstructive surgery is an option, too. Yet, not every woman is a good candidate for this. These two options work wonders for many women, but there are some who would be much better served by a custom breast prosthesis. The problem is –

One of the most supported healthcare-related bills currently pending in Congress, this may be the year H.R. 930 crosses the finish line, lymphedema advocates say. “We are looking at any possible vehicles to get this attached to,” said Judy Woodward, chairwoman of awareness for the Lymphedema Advocacy Group. “There are people championing this and trying to find ways to make that happen.” The Lymphedema Treatment Act would amend Medicare statute to pay for compression

Written by: Nikki Jensen, vice president, Essentially Women I want to connect with you to educate you on the importance of contacting your members of Congress to ask for their support of the Lymphedema Treatment Act, H.R. 930 and S. 497.   Why?  Because it matters!  A little background on why this bill is so important: Lymphedema is a serious medical condition that has no cure.  When the lymphatic system becomes damaged or impaired the body cannot effectively remove