Photo Courtesy of Kathy Nye

Myrl Jeffcoat myrlj@jps.net

My name is Pam Dowd of Boise, Idaho. I represent Implant Veterans of Toxic Exposure. I have driven almost 2,500 miles in a 1984 Southwind motor home at my own expense to be here. I felt it was that critical.

On May 21st, I will reach my 30th year of being free of breast cancer. In 2003, I told the panel about my experience as a breast cancer survivor and about the failed reconstruction that included three ruptured silicone breast implants. I told the panel about the excruciating pain of a spontaneous rupture that literally had me pulling at my hair, about the experience of having my chest scraped and cauterized following the explant, and that the Mentor implants of 1988 that caused me to cough constantly and choke on my own saliva for seven years, and about the pain in the long bones that at times has me screaming in pain.

Today I come to address the issue of the denial of health care insurance for women who have had breast implants. On page 5 of the Mentor Corporation 48?page informed consent is this warning. Inamed does not provide this information online. "For patients who have undergone breast implantation, either as a cosmetic or a reconstructive procedure, health insurance premiums may increase, coverage may be dropped, and/or future coverage may be denied. Treatment of complications may not be covered as well. You should check with your insurance company regarding these coverage issues."

Ladies and gentlemen, there is no "may" about this critical health crisis with implanted women. The denial of health insurance to women who have had implants is increasing across the land. Until last year, I had no personal knowledge of being denied health insurance.

Last October, my late husband went on Medicare. And we lost his COBRA insurance. For 30 years, I had been covered under group policies. Blue Cross had paid for this devastation that's called breast reconstruction. Yet, in the end, I am denied health insurance based on the diagnosis of Sjogren's, Raynaud's, peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, and a long list of other diagnoses I have received since getting breast implants.

Insurance companies such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Equitable Life Insurance, Aetna, AARP supplemental insurance, Prudential, Republic Bankers Life Insurance, Times Insurance Company are denying health care coverage to women who have had breast implants.

I found evidence on the evidentiary CDs from the MDL that this concern was first reported by doctors in 1989. Insurance application forms are now asking for implant history.

If, as the manufacturers and members of the ASPRS repeatedly claim, there is no connection between implants and health problems, then why the insurance denials? If there are no health risks, then why does Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas have declined if implants are explanted as their underwriting guidelines as far back as 1996? What is the toxic secret the insurance companies know but aren't sharing?

In 1998, I presented the results of a survey of implanted women to the Institute of Medicine. Of the respondents, 30 percent of the women were on disability and are drawing assistance for living needs from government and charity offices. Many of those who were disabled were disabled before the age of 50 and within 15 years of getting breast implants.

With Inamed's latest figures of 325,000 newly augmented women per year, this has the probability of creating another 100,000 women on disability a year within the next 15 years. This has the potential of being in excess of $100 million burden on the American taxpayer.

On pages 40 and 41 of Mentor's 48?page informed consent are Mentor's support of the diabolical and barbaric flat surgeries that are disabling, creating permanent and sometimes total disability for the recipients.

The insurance companies are already saying they are not going to pay for the health care needs of even the reconstruction patients they have already covered.

Ladies and gentlemen, it will be seven and a half years

CHAIRMAN CHOTI: Would you please sum up?

MS. P. DOWD: before I am eligible for Medicare. I am 57, uninsured, and uninsurable.

CHAIRMAN CHOTI: If you could please sum up for us?

MS. P. DOWD: Yes.

CHAIRMAN CHOTI: Your time is up.

MS. P. DOWD: Putting the burden of health care of thousands of women on my child's shoulder is a task I could not in good conscience do. Can you?

Again, thank you for this opportunity.

CHAIRMAN CHOTI: Thank you.