State Sen. Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton and southwest Portland, describes on June 6 what she had to go through to get the breast cancer reconstruction surgery she wanted. (screenshot from Oregon Legislature)

Legislators aren’t moved to tears often during committee meetings. State Sen. Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton and southwest Portland, tried not to cry on Friday.

The tears came anyway. She talked about a bill, Senate Bill 1137, that would make it easier for more women to get autologous breast reconstruction surgery. Many insurers do not cover it. Autologous breast reconstruction surgery uses a patient’s own tissue for reconstruction, instead of implants.

“When I was 42 years old – 2009, do the math – I had breast cancer,” she said. “I had a double mastectomy. God, I am going to cry…. I had standard, check-the-box reconstruction with implants. It requires you every 7-10 years to redo that, reconstruction with implants. Over the years, it was entirely unsatisfactory. Most women get that type of reconstruction and have no other options.”

She wanted a better option when as she put it “my shelf life ran out.”

“I had a very kismet conversation with Rep. Levy (Emerson Levy of Bend),” Lieber continued. Levy put Leiber in touch with Gail Menasco of Bend. Menasco had done the research after having a mastectomy in her late 30s. She had wanted reconstruction without putting foreign material in her body. Basically, insurance wouldn’t cover it. She even changed jobs to try to get under a plan that would cover it.

“This procedure is not offered everywhere,” Lieber said, “I actually had to go to New Orleans to get it done most recently in August. The difference between my first reconstruction and this most recent, I cannot express how different that is. Women don’t have a choice when they are doing this because the network doesn’t offer it. And I can’t tell you how sad I am that most women go through that check-the-box reconstruction surgery. It’s not fair. And yet many, many insurance companies deny them from going out of network to get this surgery.”

The bill requires health insurance to cover this form of breast reconstruction procedure with terms and conditions that are no less favorable than procedures with implants.

Levy, D-Bend, and Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, led the effort to bring the bill forward.

The Legislature should pass it.