In this episode of The Confidence Doc, board-certified Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Rukmini Rednam sits down with Dr. Alicia Billington, a reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgeon based in Florida, to discuss the powerful intersection of surgery, advocacy, and health policy. Dr. Billington shares her journey from engineering to medicine, her collaboration with biomedical students to develop an innovative scar therapy device, and her unwavering mission to fight for patients’ rights amidst rising insurance denials.

They dive deep into the troubling loopholes affecting breast reconstruction coverage under the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act and the importance of collective physician advocacy. Dr. Billington also recounts her own battles with insurance companies and how social media played a pivotal role in reversing unjust policies. This conversation is a call to action for surgeons, patients, and advocates alike to get involved, speak up, and push for systemic change.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• Engineering innovations in scar management devices
• Breast reconstruction, insurance denials, and patient rights
• Loopholes in the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act
• How social media advocacy reversed mesh coverage policy
• The power and risks of physician activism
• Steps for plastic surgeons to get involved in health policy
• The impact of ASPS Advocacy Day and legislative engagement

🔗 Follow Dr. Alicia Billington:

📍 Instagram: @draliciabillington
📍 Based in: St. Petersburg, Florida

📬 Request your consultation here:

Contact Dr. Rukmini Rednam, MD in Houston, TX and The Woodlands: drrukminirednam.com