Yesterday the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issued new advice concerning when women should begin having mammograms. The task force stated that most women in their 40’s don’t need mammograms and should get one every two years starting at age 50. This is in direct opposition to the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. Following the task force report, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization issued the following statement, “Susan G. Komen for the Cure wants to eliminate any impediments to regular mammography screening for women age 40 and older. While there is no question that mammograms save lives for women over 50 and women 40-49, there is enough uncertainty about the age at which mammography should begin and the frequency of screening that we would not want to see a change in policy for screening mammography at this time”, Eric P. Winer M.D. chief scientific adviser and chair of Komen’s Scientific Advisory Board.
So, who are we to believe? The American Cancer Society, Dr. Winer - the chief scientific adviser of the leading breast cancer awareness organization, or the government? Let me put it this way. If your daughter felt a lump in her breast at age 41, would you rely on the government’s findings and tell her she can wait until she’s 50 to get it checked, or would you tell her to get a mammogram immediately? When the government takes over your healthcare, you won’t have a choice.
This is a perfect example of what is going to happen when the government gets control of your healthcare. They won’t call it “rationing”. They will call it cost effective preventative medicine. They will have a group of “experts” issue a report telling us that we don’t need mammograms until age 50 because most women don’t get cancer before then. Tell that to the children of a 40 year old mother who died from breast cancer. And there will be other reports from these “experts”. What’s next? The costs and risks of flu shots outweigh the benefits? The result would be that the government would no longer issues flu shots and thousands would die unnecessarily every year. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
People and organizations tend to act in ways in which they have a financial incentive. Like it or not, the government has a financial incentive to lower your life expectancy. Because the longer you live, the more you cost the government in Social Security, Medicare, and soon healthcare benefits. So, do you think future governmental policies concerning preventative health will lean toward the “better safe than sorry” mentality, allowing you to get tested earlier rather than later? Or do you think the government would be more likely to take a “wait and see” approach?
One more reason we must not allow the government to destroy the greatest healthcare system in the world.
For more information about my campaign, please go to www.timburnsforcongress.com
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1 comments:
Tell them they do not need it. Tell that to a supremely talented, educated smart young woman who died before 40 after fighting breast cancer from her twenties. Tell that to a good friend of mine who, at age 40, just had a total mastectomy and has three little kids to raise, alone, between the ages of 3 and 9. Tell that to the many young women I know who have had lumps removed before age 30. This task force needs disbanded and all such eliminated. Leave decisions to Doctors.
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