"Billions of dollars will be saved." "Mammograms are of greater benefit to older women." (Oops, wrong age group).
11/17/2009, "Panel Urges Mammograms at 50, Not 40," NY Times, G. Kolata
"Just seven years ago, the same group, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, with different members, recommended that women have mammograms every one to two years starting at age 40. It found too little evidence to take a stand on breast self-examinations.
The task force is an independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care appointed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
Its new guidelines, which are different from those of some professional and advocacy organizations, are published online in The Annals of Internal Medicine. They are likely to touch off yet another round of controversy over the benefits of screening for breast cancer....
Even though mammograms are of greater benefit to older women, they still prevent only a small fraction of breast cancer deaths....
Of course, Dr. Berry noted, if the new guidelines are followed, billions of dollars will be saved.""...
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"The recommendations, which help shape how doctors practice..." "No benefit to self-exams." Women 50-74 should only get mammograms "every other year," not every year.
11/17/2009, "Report: Mammograms may not be needed until age 50," USA Today, Liz Szabo
"Most women don't need to get mammograms until they reach age 50, according to a controversial new report that recommends that far fewer women undergo the breast cancer screenings.
For years, mammograms have been recommended every year or two for women beginning at age 40.The American Cancer Society voiced its displeasure with the new recommendations. "The task force is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them," Otis Brawley, the society's chief medical officer, said in a statement. About 17% of breast cancer deaths occurred in women who were diagnosed in their 40s, he said."...
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Cut back on pap tests, too, Obama appointed panel says
10/19/11, "Task Force Recommends Women Get Fewer Pap Tests," ABC News, M. Conley
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America would be better without older people who are much more racist according to Tom Brokaw:
6/6/2008, Tom Brokaw: "Younger people especially are much, much more colorblind than their elders are."...
"NBC Anchors Get Choked Up About Obama Nomination," Tom Brokaw on Obama beating Hillary Clinton
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2 comments:
The USPSTF was not, and is not appointed by the President, rather is an independent group that makes recommendations. The person who does appoint the board was nominated by George W. Bush in 2003, and renominated by Obama in 2009. The group looks at pure statistical analysis of what it sees to be reasonable guidelines regarding risk without accounting for cost or coverage. The group does not say that mammograms and pap smears are without value, and continues to recommend them for women who have risk factors, such as a hereditary predisposition or related health problems. Under Medicare, if the doctor sees it as worthwhile then the doctor will still be able to order it, and private insurance plans will not be effected at all.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mammogram-guidelines/AN02052
The panel is assembled by an appointee of Obama's Health and Human Services Dept. according to the first article. George Bush's involvement if any does not make appointments during Obama's tenure any better. George Bush was a disaster on every level and to the degree Obama retained any of his people it further proves how horrendous Bush was. In any case, Obama is most certainly in charge of HHS today and that dept. assembled or oversaw this panel. As it happens, national health care or ObamaCare is nothing if not a structure that issues rules and regulations about what procedures can be done and when. These articles of course do not say mammograms and paps will be eliminated but they will be cut back. Billions will be saved. Some people will die. This is obvious and is stated. These tests are small examples of what life will be like under ObamaCare. I chose to make the point about population reduction because the Obama administration and the media are selling the idea that he is a women's health advocate. Perhaps women will have universal access to birth control pills but that isn't a health issue, it's a personal choice and population issue. Women's cancer prevention screenings in Obama's national health plan will not be as available. The point of ObamaCare is to somehow get enough money to add 30 million people to MediCaid. This is one of the ways they plan on getting that money.
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