Man boobs are taboo in American society but the truth is all men have them. And all men have a chance that those man boobs might develop cancer – granted women are far more susceptible to breast cancer than men. However, not all men have the ability to pay for the costly medical expenses one must take on in order to combat the disease.
Take the case of Raymond Johnson, a 26-year-old man from Cross, South Carolina, who found a lump in his left breast and was diagnosed with breast cancer in July. Uninsured, Johnson, took the advice of his patient advocate who told him to apply for a Medicaid program that covers breast cancer treatment called the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act.
Enacted in 2000, the federal law uses Medicaid funds to cover treatment for breast cancer or cervical cancer patients who otherwise don’t qualify for the state and federally funded health insurance program for the poor and disabled. While patients must meet a host of eligibility requirements to qualify for the program, according to the South Carolina Medicaid agency, Johnson met all the requirements except one: he has a penis instead of a vagina.
That’s right. He can’t be covered because he’s a man, not a woman.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):
Breast and Cervical Cancer is a Medicaid optional eligibility category for certain groups of women who are in need of treatment for breast and cervical cancer.
Medicaid Eligibility Requirements
In order for a woman to be eligible for Medicaid under this option, she must:
- have been screened for and found to have breast or cervical cancer, including precancerous conditions, through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
- be under age 65; and
- be uninsured and otherwise not eligible for Medicaid
While it’s clear that neither cancer nor Congress is choosy when it comes to sex, apparently Congressional legislation is.
