How lawyers can help women fighting breast cancer

(ARA) - When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, many of her most important questions can't be answered by a doctor. What if my insurance won't cover a new treatment? Do I risk losing my benefits if I am not working full time? Will my boss let me take time off for treatment?

To help women answer these questions, the American Bar Association, and state and local bar associations across the country sponsor breast cancer legal advocacy workshops. This landmark project features panels of local legal experts who train other attorneys on how to represent breast cancer patients facing legal challenges related to their illness.

One Indianapolis expert on the Family and Medical Leave Act explains that when it comes to breast cancer, the No. 1 legal issue is not the denial of insurance coverage, but in fact, continuation of employment.

Many

breast cancer patients face employment discrimination due to misconceptions about the disease and a lack of empathy and understanding of cancer. However, both federal and state laws protect against unlawful employment actions.

Legal professionals can help patients understand the complex health care provisions of insurance coverage that are often difficult to understand and can fight for patients' employment rights. Women with breast cancer should work with legal advocates and know that lawyers stand ready to be partners in the fight against breast cancer.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, underscoring the need for more legal advocacy workshops and more partnerships between doctors, lawyers and patients.

The American Bar Association's Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Workshop Toolkit offers advice and aid for lawyers wishing to help patients navigate their situation and provides a blueprint for attorneys to use for developing training programs to educate other advocates. Here is a sample of the advice the toolkit offers

anyone facing breast cancer:

Ten steps to protecting the legal rights of breast cancer patients:

1. Read your health insurance policy carefully.
2. Determine if the treatment prescribed by your physician is covered by your policy.
3. Find out about the appeals process under your insurance policy.
4. Consult with an expert who is knowledgeable about health insurance law.
5. Plead your case in person to your insurance carrier.
6. Personalize your written case with your insurance company.
7. Obtain copies of your medical records.
8. Document everything.
9. Ask your physician to advocate for your treatment.
10. Be prepared to fight.

Courtesy of ARAcontent