July 25, 2002
The Hormone Replacement Therapy Alternative Treatment Act requires private insurance companies, the Medicare and Medicaid programs and all other Federal health insurance programs to cover all prescription hormone replacement therapies, and all alternative hormone replace therapies which have been proven in peer-reviewed scientific studies and are provided by a State licensed, certified, or accredited health care provider.
AFollowing the release of the recent AMA report concerning the Prempro HRT therapy, there is even more confusion about what kind of HRT women should take, and how they can do it safely,@ said Lee. AThere are safe, effective alternatives to prescription HRT and those alternatives should be covered by health insurance. Women should be able to decide, along with their health care provider the safest, most effective HRT that is right for them individually, and cost or lack of insurance should not be an issue.@
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently published a report by the Women=s Health Initiative that studied the HRT prescription drug Prempro (a combination of Estrogen and Progestin), one of the most widely prescribed therapies. The report indicates that the HRT combination of Estrogen and Progestin can cause increases in risk for breast cancer, strokes, cancer of the uterus and blood clots. The Women=s Health Initiative also began a study of Estrogen alone HRT in conjunction with the study on Prempro, and have so far concluded that the benefits far outweigh the risks. The results of this continuing study are slated to be released in 2005.
ASince some forms of HRT may be dangerous, millions of menopausal women are seeking alternative treatments for HRT, but unfortunately these alternative remedies are not covered by most insurance plans,@ said Lee. AWomen deserve the choice to seek out all forms of HRT, and their insurance plans should cover it.@
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Introduces Legislation to Provide for Insurance Coverage of Prescription and Alternative Hormone Replacement Therapies
Washington, DC B Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today introduced H.R. 5204, the Hormone Replacement Therapy Alternative Treatment Act, legislation that would provide guaranteed insurance coverage of both prescription and alternative treatments for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).The Hormone Replacement Therapy Alternative Treatment Act requires private insurance companies, the Medicare and Medicaid programs and all other Federal health insurance programs to cover all prescription hormone replacement therapies, and all alternative hormone replace therapies which have been proven in peer-reviewed scientific studies and are provided by a State licensed, certified, or accredited health care provider.
AFollowing the release of the recent AMA report concerning the Prempro HRT therapy, there is even more confusion about what kind of HRT women should take, and how they can do it safely,@ said Lee. AThere are safe, effective alternatives to prescription HRT and those alternatives should be covered by health insurance. Women should be able to decide, along with their health care provider the safest, most effective HRT that is right for them individually, and cost or lack of insurance should not be an issue.@
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently published a report by the Women=s Health Initiative that studied the HRT prescription drug Prempro (a combination of Estrogen and Progestin), one of the most widely prescribed therapies. The report indicates that the HRT combination of Estrogen and Progestin can cause increases in risk for breast cancer, strokes, cancer of the uterus and blood clots. The Women=s Health Initiative also began a study of Estrogen alone HRT in conjunction with the study on Prempro, and have so far concluded that the benefits far outweigh the risks. The results of this continuing study are slated to be released in 2005.
ASince some forms of HRT may be dangerous, millions of menopausal women are seeking alternative treatments for HRT, but unfortunately these alternative remedies are not covered by most insurance plans,@ said Lee. AWomen deserve the choice to seek out all forms of HRT, and their insurance plans should cover it.@
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