Breast cancer is indiscriminate and as such male breast cancer is possible, but not with the health insurance designed by the U.S. government to cover that disease – it is completely discriminatory, as was proven by Raymond Johnson, 26, recently. Johnson, a South Carolinan tile laying worker, applied for a Medicaid program after he was diagnosed to be developing the deadly disease and unable to pay for chemotherapy and surgery. The program covers the treatment for that disease and Johnson believed that his application should be accepted as he fulfilled nearly all eligibility requirements, except for one: he is not a woman.
There are indeed some U.S. citizens who aren’t qualify for certain health insurance programs in state and federal levels. However, in 2000 the federal government had issued the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act to handle the matter. This federal law allows the use of Medicaid funds to cover the treatment for those citizens who contract breast cancer. However, it is obvious that the regulation is made totally with only women in mind, probably becuase the makers did not think male breast cancer is possible. But it is and existing regulations aren’t able to offer any help yet.
Each year throughout the U.S., 2,140 new breast cancer in men are detected, according to estimate from the American Cancer Society. Since 2007, in South Carolina, 16 men diagnosed with that disease have applied to Medicaid breast and cervical cancer program to obtain the coverage, with three of them met the requirements but were eventually denied because of their sex. As a comparison, the same program serves around 1,180 women. The U.S. regulations on male breast cancer are problematic as changing them would need an intervention from Congress, although things will be totally different when the health insurance reform in 2014 takes effect – but are the patients will be so patient?
What a shame. I must admit, as a male I haven’t worried, or even thought about the possibility of developing breast cancer. I know that it does happen more frequently than most people realize. Insurance companies know this, but until the pressure gets great enough, of course they’re going to hold out.
Everything is driven by money in this world. There is no humane reason to deny someone medical care in a life or death situation simply because they do not have the means to pay for it. The fact that there are millions of people in the world without access to simple antibiotics and yearly checkups is sickening enough, but to deny someone access to cancer treatment based on a gender “technicallity” is disgraceful. Medicaid and the entire insurance/medical industry in the United States should all be ashamed of themselves and stop putting a price on life.