During the week of December 1, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) mailed its annual Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) postcard to approximately 141,000 members.
What is WHCRA?
WHCRA is a federal law that provides protection for individuals who elect breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Under WHCRA, health plans offering mastectomy coverage must also provide coverage for certain services relating to the mastectomy. Written notice about the availability of these mastectomy-related benefits must be delivered to members upon enrollment and then each year afterwards.
Who receives this postcard?
To fulfill the requirement to provide annual notice of available benefits, BCBSND mails a postcard to members with a plan in the following markets:
- Individual metallic plans (on- and off-exchange)
- Medicare Supplement plans
- Small group plans (metallic and grandfathered)
- Large group plans (fully insured and self-funded; grandfathered and non-grandfathered)
What does WHCRA cover?
The notice reminds members that benefits include:
- All stages of breast reconstruction and surgery to achieve symmetry between the breasts
- Prostheses
- Treatment of complications resulting from a mastectomy, such as lymphedema
Members should consult their plan documents for specifics.
What to expect
Members will receive a postcard; no action is required. If they have questions about their benefits, please instruct them to call the Customer Service phone number on the back of their BCBSND ID card.
