1. Short title; findings (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act . (b) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) There are currently more than 3,500,000 women with a history of breast cancer in the United States, many of whom experience unreconstructed breast loss. (2) In 2018, more than 260,000 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer that required surgery, with many having to undergo surgical breast removal. (3) In 2018, more than 40,000 women in the United States are expected to die from breast cancer. (4) Annually, there are 144,000 women in the United States who undergo mastectomies, a surgical removal of the breast. (5) The number of breast mastectomies in the United States has increased among younger women, ages 18 to 34 years old, at a rate of 30 percent and at a rate of 15 percent for women ages 35 to 44 years old. (6) The results of breast reconstruction surgery can vary and, as with any surgical procedure, there are inherent risks associated with such surgery. Additionally, reconstruction of the breast using implants can impose increased risks and costs due to the eventual need for implant replacement surgery. (7) The number of women choosing to undergo surgical breast reconstruction continues to increase, as many women lack the viable option of custom fabricated prosthetic breasts to restore the lost breast. (8) Both older women and minority women are less likely to be offered or undergo surgical breast reconstruction and are disproportionately disadvantaged by a lack of access to the option of custom fabricated prosthetic breasts. (9) Currently, the Medicare program provides coverage and reimbursement for custom fabricated prostheses for any body part, with the exception of breasts, that has been lost. (10) Following passage of the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 ( Public Law 105–277