Recently we had a lady come into the store to buy a new bra. When she removed her old one and took out her breast prostheses, I asked how old they were. "Oh, I don't know, I was given them as I can't afford to buy them". "Do you know that Medicare reimburse you for them?" I asked. "What do you mean, do they pay for them?" "Yes, I replied, up to $400 per breast form and you can claim every two years". "I've been using second hand breast forms since my surgery and they've never been the right fit for me". She was so excited to be able to choose her own new breast forms (she needed two) and put them into her new bra. Her face lit up as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Now, I'm all ready for my daughter's wedding she said with a huge grin". I was so excited for her but disappointed that she had been putting up with the wrong fit for far too many years by wearing breast forms which weren't right for her.
We hear this story far too often. Women who either don't know about the Medicare rebate, or who can't afford to pay for their breast form upfront and then wait to be reimbursed (about 5-7 business days) or are given second hand breast forms which don't fit and which can damage scar tissue if worn too soon after surgery. Not only can they damage scar tissue, missing out on a professional fitting can contribute to emotional trauma as women believe that this is as good as it gets, which is far from the truth.
It's not widely advertised that women are entitled to claim their breast prosthesis from Medicare if they meet the following criteria:
Medicare will reimburse women who have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy due to breast cancer up to $400 each for an external breast prosthesis. This includes a full or partial breast prosthesis.
You are eligible for this program if you:
have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy as a result of breast cancer
are eligible for Medicare, and
have not made a claim under this program in the past 2 years
Visit the Medicare website to obtain more information on the program.
If you require help to purchase your breast form there are organisations which can help such as:
Rise Above - Capital Region Cancer Relief
Bosom Buddies - Breast Cancer Support Group ACT
Cancer Council - to find out what assistance may be available in your region.
or have a chat to us here at Colleen's about what help is available.
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