Dutch Health Insurers Give Surgeons Authority over Breast Reconstruction Approvals

Plastic surgeons will now decide on performing breast reconstructions for breast cancer. This was decided by Zorgverzekeraars Nederland after the NOS revealed abuses in the reimbursement of these operations. According to the doctors, this is a breakthrough. They expect to be able to operate on hundreds of additional women per year whose applications are currently rejected by the insurer. This decision also means that breast photos will no longer…

Dutch health insurers give surgeons authority over breast reconstruction approvals

Dutch health insurers have decided that plastic surgeons will now have full authority to decide on breast reconstruction surgeries for breast cancer patients, eliminating the need for prior insurer approval. This decision follows reports by NOS exposing serious issues with reimbursement denials for these procedures.

Tattoo artist Andy Engel returns breast cancer patients with photorealistic nipple centattoos a piece of quality of life.In Germany, around 70,000 women suffer from breast cancer every year. In about 25 percent of cases, surgical removal of the breast (mastectomy) is medically necessary. After such surgery, many patients decide to rebuild their breasts. Although form and volume can be reconstructed by surgical procedures, a significant detail of…