The new recommendations on mammograms may be a glimpse into the future: a government task force deciding what's best for our health. Yes, I know they had physicians and scientists on this force (very appropriate word?) but I just don't know -- it's government, after all, and we'd all best be a wee bit suspicious, if you ask me. But there seems to be a lot of folks who've been blinded by the reflected light off of Nancy Pelosi's pearly whites. Which I bet she got from the best dentist congress can buy.
When I read this article in the morning paper, I thought I'd blacked out for months and woke up on April Fool's Day. The task force says that women under 50 don't need mammograms and "after 75, the benefits of mammograms are unknown". My own mother might be dead now, if she had not had a routine mammogram after 75.
The report also says that "breast self-exams are of no value". If this wasn't so serious, it would be laughable. Do they not realize how many women have discovered lumps themselves? And now they're saying this is of no value? Do they not understand that there are foolish women out there who might say, "okay, I won't do self-exams anymore because they aren't worth it"? Even if only a small percentage of lumps are found in this manner, saying that it is of no value is ludicrous -- especially considering that doing a self-exam is free -- it's not like anybody is having to pay for it. So, why in the world would they even say this? Is it going to hurt the women if they continue to do it? It's much more likely to hurt them if they don't.
What exactly is going on here?
Now, I know what some folks will say -- that this is just a recommendation, that it won't affect what women and their physicians choose to do. I hope it won't but government-run health care (whether Medicare, Medicaid or a "public option") is not going to give you a choice because the government will say you don't need a routine test and, therefore, they won't pay for it (unless you have risk factors). Apparently, saving one life here or one there is not important enough. Tell that to a breast cancer survivor, if you're brave enough.
Would someone in Washington just get a clue? There's actually a real world out here.
For more on this, go here.
Posts
Just a note: Wife's coustin age 40 just discovered her cancer with a "routine" check up. Why o Why have we all lost our senses about common sense and how ineffecient our government is?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can't even begin to fathom how people think -- I suppose they don't get me either. Why doesn't anyone ever mention that Medicare and Social Security are nearly broke? That the post office isn't that healthy, either? Why don't they want to tackle the huge problem of fraud? What the hell does a trillion dollars even look like? Oh, no, let's bail the car companies out -- people ought to look into why Ford is doing so well and didn't need a bailout...but I digress...
ReplyDeleteOh, meant to add that I hope your wife's cousin does well.
ReplyDelete