ali rogin looks at the growing health conceabout these chemicals. ali: pfas, sometimes called forever chemicals, repel fire, water, oil and stains and have been used since the 1940s in a wide variety of everyday products. you can find them in nonstick cookware, fast food wrappers, clothes, and cosmetics. but these man made chemicals don't break down easily, and a number of them have been linked to serious health problems. for more on their impact, we turn to erin bell. she's an environmental epidemiologist at the state university of new york at albany who studies human exposure to these toxins. erin, thank you so much for joining us. just how widespread are these chemicals? erin: these chemicals have been detected in the drinking water and soil in every state of the united states, and it is also being detected in many countries across the world. a number of health concerns are related to exposure to these chemicals. they include impact on the immune system. folks with higher exposures are more likely to have thyroid changes, changes in kidney functio

ali rogin's report is part of our ongoing series "unequal treatment" looking at inequities in healthwomen. >> the surgery is known as diep flap reconstruction. it uses a person's own blood vessels, fat, and skin to reconstruct the breast. older, less complex reconstruction methods use abdominal muscles, but they often lead to complications like hernias and mule weakness. since 2006, doctors have billed insurance companies for diep flap reconstruction using a unique four-digit code. but now, that code is sunsetting over the next two years. instead, diep flap surgeries will be billed with a different code that also includes those older, less complex procedures, which are also cheaper to perform. doctors and patients worry that this will lead to insurance companies only reimbursing the value of the older, less complex procedures. and doctors might not be able to afford to perform diep flap surgery unless patients pay out of pocket. we spoke to some women who have received or are hoping to receive this surgery. diane heditsian: i'm diane hestian and i'm 68 yrs old. i was diagnosed with b