This bill is supported by many, many, many different doctors groups, patient advocacy groups, and breast centers. This is something so important for women in the United States — and we need to get it passed.
Replying to Amanda Rose (Patient Advocate) — this was way too much to respond to in a TikTok comment, so let me lay it all out here.
There's been a lot of interest in the breast reconstruction access bill (#AWHCA) and which organizations are actually behind it. The answer is: a lot of heavy hitters, across physician groups, patient advocacy organizations, and state/regional medical societies.
Here's the breakdown.
Some of the biggest names in breast care and plastic surgery have signed letters of support:
These aren't fringe groups — they represent the bulk of the physicians actually taking care of breast cancer patients in the United States.
On the patient side, some of the most well-known and most trusted advocacy groups in breast cancer have also signed on:
When Susan G. Komen and FORCE are on the same letter as the ASPS and ASBS, you're looking at a pretty extraordinary coalition.
This isn't just a national-level push. A long list of local, state, and regional societies are also backing the bill — including:
The fact that this has support from full state medical associations, not just the surgical specialties, is significant. These are bodies representing every physician in a given state — primary care, oncology, radiology, everyone.
This bill is supported by a truly remarkable range of groups:
When that many independent organizations — with very different priorities and member bases — sign onto the same bill, it's because the issue is real, widespread, and affecting women across the country.
Every week I meet patients who have been:
This is not a niche problem. It's a broad, systemic issue in how breast reconstruction is accessed in the United States.
This kind of legislation does not get passed without pressure from constituents. Here's how to help:
Representatives need to hear real-world examples. If you have experienced:
...tell them. Your story is the single most persuasive piece of information a congressperson can hear.
If you have favorite medfluencers on TikTok or Instagram who talk about women's health, breast cancer, or reconstruction — let them know this bill exists and ask them to use their platform to support it.
The physician groups and advocacy organizations have signed their letters. The next step is getting the public voice loud enough that elected officials feel the pressure.
I know it can feel like one phone call doesn't matter. It does. Stacked with thousands of others, it's what actually moves bills across the finish line.
We can't get things like this done unless we work as a group. The organizations listed above are doing their part from the clinical and advocacy side. The next part is up to patients, families, and supporters to push from the constituent side.
The breast reconstruction access bill (#AWHCA) is backed by an extraordinary coalition — from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American College of Radiology to FORCE and Susan G. Komen, plus state medical associations across the country.
If you've ever been denied, under-informed, or under-served in breast reconstruction — or you love someone who has — this is the moment to make a phone call. It genuinely does matter.