Ridiculous

I have admittedly been out of touch with "the outside world" the past week. Between work and boys and fighting off a cold I have little energy to watch much tv or read the news. Tonight I actually sat down to do nothing but vegetate for an hour and watch some tv. A story came on the news about the new Government Health Panel recommendation that women now start getting mammograms at age 50 as opposed to the previously recommended 40, and how there is now fear that Health Insurance companies are going to start refusing to pay for screenings before the age of 50. This news appalled me! How many women will now opt out of screenings because they cannot afford them? And they aren't cheap! I know this because I got a nice little bill in the mail this week for the portion that my insurance will NOT pay for an annual screening. Unfortunately last week I had to go back in for some follow up mammograms because of an "asymmetric abnormality" and after 7, yes, SEVEN more scans they finally got the results they needed to see. A sigh of relief that all was ok--but I couldn't help but think when the radiologist reviewed the scans with me just how much are these additional scans going to cost me?? I almost guarantee that my insurance will not cover them, even though I am in the "high risk" category due to family history. Again, I feel this new recommendation is a giant step backward and I sincerely hope and pray this panel recommendation isn't being influenced by the National Healthcare reform. ("Hey, now that WE'RE picking up the tab for healthcare we're starting to think that maybe you don't REALLY need all those tests, do you?!").

A reporter on the news said that one local Imagine Center counts over 25% of women under the age of 50 who get breast cancer. Twenty-five percent!! That is a 1/4 of their patients who would NOT have known they had cancer had they not went in for screenings. My own mom was in her 40's when she was diagnosed and another woman I know here was diagnosed at age 36!! I hope that enough women and healthcare providers raise a fuss over this new "recommendation". I know I will.