Ali Rogin:
The surgery is known as DIEP flap reconstruction. It uses a person's own blood vessels fat and skin to reconstruct the breast. Older, less complex reconstruction methods use abdominal muscles, but they often lead to complications like hernias, and muscle weakness.
Since 2006, doctors have built insurance companies for DIEP flap reconstruction using a unique four digit code. But now that code is sunsetting over the next two years. Instead, DIEP flap surgeries will be built with a different code that also includes those older, less complex procedures, which are also cheaper to perform.
Doctors and patients worry that this will lead to insurance companies only reimbursing the value of the older, less complex procedures and that doctors might not be able to perform DIEP flap surgery unless patients pay out of pocket. We spoke to some women who have received or are hoping to receive this surgery.
Diane Heditsian, Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: I'm Diane Heditsian and I'm 68 years old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I had three different lumps.
Kate Getz, Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: My name is Kate Getz and I am 30 years old. I was diagnosed in January of 2023 with breast cancer.
Latishia Wheaton, Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: My name is Latishia Wheaton. I'm 50 years old. I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer on March 11, 2020. I had to do like 16 rounds of chemo.
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