You’re BRAVE.
We value diversity, equality, and inclusion.
Sponsored by:
We Believe
Patient- Focus Research
Brave is pleased to share our ongoing patient-focused research collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, involving the current state of access to breast reconstruction services in the US across demographic and socioeconomic segments.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10194453/pdf/gox-11-111.pdf
Individuals & Community-based Organizations:
Healthcare Companies with a Passion for Helping Women Win:
We are in this together and women don’t have to fight alone.
Did you know?
White women are more likely to have immediate reconstruction than women of other ethnicities.
We Advocate
Among plastic surgeons in the U.S., the rate of breast reconstruction surgery post breast cancer is decreasing primarily due to unattractive reimbursement rates.
In fact, 44% of surveyed plastic surgeons reported a decrease in their volume of breast reconstructions from 2016 to 2019, compared to the three years prior. Additionally, of the 51% of plastic surgeons surveyed who do not “currently perform” breast reconstruction surgery, 57% cited reimbursement issues as the main driver of this decision.
of surveyed plastic surgeons
CITED REIMBURSEMENT ISSUES
as the main driver for no longer performing breast reconstruction surgery
The trend is not irreversible, however. The large majority of those who no longer perform breast reconstruction would return to the procedure if reimbursement rates were to increase to the point of covering costs and being revenue generating.
In the future, the ability to reduce this distressing downward trend in breast reconstruction surgeries in the US is contingent on an improved awareness of the societal benefits of reconstruction post-cancer surgery and addressing the current deficiencies in the US reimbursement system for this vital procedure.
BRAVE is doing just that.
References: 1. Alderman AK, Hawley ST, Waljee J, et al. Correlates of referral practices of general surgeons to plastic surgeons for mastectomy reconstruction. Cancer. 2007;109:1715–1720. 2. Retrouvey H, Solaja O, Gagliardi AR, et al. Barriers of access to breast reconstruction: a systematic review. Plast Recon Surg. 2018;143:465e–476e. 3. Xue, Erica Y. MD, MS; Chu, Carrie K. MD, MS, FACS; Winocour, Sebastian MD, MSc, FACS; Cen, Nicholas BS;Reece, Edward MD, MBA, FACS. Establishing a Telemedicine Program for Breast Reconstruction. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open: March 2020 – Volume 8 – Issue 3 – p e2594 4. Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act www.cancer.org