Remember Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius assuring us that the guidelines that were recently released stating that women didn't need mammograms before age 50 would have no impact on anything. Women just needed to talk with their doctors and follow their advice. Well, guess what. That's not what's happening.
The North County Times in southern California reported yesterday that:
"The eligibility age for state-subsidized breast cancer screening has been raised from 40 to 50 by the California Health and Human Services Agency, which will also temporarily stop enrollment in the breast cancer screening program."
That state's decision was announced December 1 with an effective date of January1. I thought this was exactly what we were told would not happen.
The article points out:
"The federal recommendation, made Nov. 16 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, has encountered strong opposition.
"The task force later retreated a bit, adjusting its recommendation to state that mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 should be considered by their doctors on an individual basis.
"Moreover, private health care systems such as Scripps Health have rejected the federal task force's recommendation, choosing instead to keep the existing standard, which calls for a mammogram at age 40, with annual mammograms thereafter.
"That means doctors will be using two medical practice guidelines, distinguished not by knowledge but by the pocketbook, said Dr. Jack Klausen, a gynecologist and obstetrician who practices at Vista Community Clinic.
"If we are in a situation where we don't screen, but the private-practice doctor can screen, then we are actually not practicing to the standard of care," Klausen said."
This is called rationing healthcare to decrease cost. It is what happens when the government controls healthcare. The question at hand is, "Do you want the federal government to have the ability to engage in this sort of foolishness?"
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