Background
The Reconstructive Surgery Act would require group health insurance companies that provide coverage for surgery to also cover the costs of reconstructive surgery. The bill defines "reconstructive surgery" as "any medically necessary and appropriate surgery performed to correct or repair abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infections, tumors or disease." The purpose of this surgery would be to either improve function or "give the patient a normal appearance, to the extent possible, in the judgment of the physician performing the surgery."

The key phrase in the definition is "correct or repair abnormal structures."

The bill would not cover "cosmetic surgery," which it defines as "surgery that is performed to alter or reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve appearance."

The key phrase in this definition is "alter or reshape normal structures."

Senate action
On March 20, 2001, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the bill as S. 576. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) cosponsored it. The bill was read and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

House of Representatives action
On June 18, 2002, Representative Mike Ross (D-AR) introduced the bill as H.R. 4959. Representatives Vic Snyder (D-AR), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), and Marion Berry (D-AR) cosponsored it. It was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

What you can do
These pieces of legislation are especially important for people with rare disorders who need reconstructive surgery. The Senate committee has not yet recommended that S. 576 be placed on the Senate calendar for a vote. In the House of Representative, more than half of its members must sign on as cosponsors of H.R. 4959 before the entire House can vote on it.

Therefore, you can contact your congressional representative and ask him or her to cosponsor H.R. 4959. Also, you can contact your senator and urge him or her to support S. 576. Mail to Washington is delayed about 4 weeks due to security checks, so making a phone call, sending an email, or faxing a letter would be faster.

• Letter: mail it to your representative's local state office or fax it to his/her Washington, DC office.
• Email your Representative: Go to U.S. Representatives - Write Your Representative Service and send an email right there (will also identify your representative if you're not sure who he/she is).
  Email your Senators: Check the Senate listing. Clicking on your Senators' names will take you to their official Web sites.
• Telephone: Call your representative's local state office, or call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your representative's office.

Information for this article was taken from:
- National Organization for Rare Disorders News Brief: Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2002
- The Congressional Record: Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2001 and 2002

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