▁where ▁breast ▁cancer ▁patient ' s ▁hospital ▁stays ▁were ▁limited ▁by ▁their ▁carri ers . ▁The ▁required ▁coverage ▁includes ▁all ▁stages ▁of ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁the ▁breast ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁m aste ct omy ▁was ▁performed , ▁surg ery ▁and ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁breast ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁symmet rical ▁appearance , ▁prost hes es , ▁and ▁treatment ▁of ▁physical ▁comp lications ▁of ▁the ▁m aste ct omy , ▁including ▁l ym ph ed ema . ▁▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁is ▁an ▁interesting ▁one . ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁although ▁several ▁states ▁had ▁laws ▁requiring ▁health ▁ins urance ▁carri ers ▁to ▁cover ▁re construct ive ▁surg ery , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁federal ▁legisl ation ▁and ▁many ▁states ▁did ▁not ▁offer ▁such ▁protection . ▁In ▁addition , ▁self - fund ed ▁ins urance ▁plans , ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁often ▁offered ▁by ▁un ions , ▁which ▁fall ▁under ▁federal ▁ER IS A ▁gu idel ines , ▁also ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁such ▁protection . ▁A ▁ 3 2 - year - old ▁Long ▁Island ▁woman , ▁Jan et ▁Fran quet , ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁an ▁ag gress ive ▁form ▁of ▁breast ▁cancer ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁She ▁required ▁a ▁m aste ct omy , ▁after ▁chem other apy ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁shr ink ▁her ▁tum or , ▁and ▁desired ▁re construct ive ▁surg ery ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁breast . ▁Upon ▁contact ing ▁her ▁ins urance ▁car rier , ▁her ▁re construct ive ▁sur geon