I now believe that all the bills going through Congress to reform healthcare should be stopped. They are worthless. Not that I liked them much prior to me writing this but what happened just recently has proven that this whole thing is a sham. I have ALWAYS said that unless Americans can wrap their heads around rationing care than this system is unfixable. There just isn't enough money. And without patients having to pay out of pocket then they would have no incentive to curtail spending or shop around. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is the most unbiased panel of experts around, made the recommendation to move the age to start getting mammograms from age 40 to age 50. We primary care docs have been using all the USPSTF recommendations for years and I am sure we will use this opinion as well. This recommendation will also save billions of dollars as well. That was before the political uprising by special interest groups trying to denigrate the USPSTF and all that they stand for. What does the present Administration do? Sebelius has made it " clear these recommendations are not ours". WTF! You frauds. This was a litmus test to see how our government could handle the tough calls like mammogram screening and they already failed! This only proves that they will do nothing to slow the cost of healthcare in the future. They will only find new ways to tax others to pay for it.
Oh, by the way, here is what the American College of Radiology (whose members stand to lose a lot of money) says about the USPSTF:
The American College of Radiology (ACR) is pleased to see that Secretary Sebelius has reaffirmed that mammography is a vital and lifesaving tool in the battle against breast cancer. We strongly urge women and providers to continue to adhere to the current American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology policies regarding mammographic screening. Additionally, as the Task Force is referenced in health care reform legislation as a significant factor in determining which preventative services may be offered under government "insurance exchanges" outlined in the legislation, we ask that the Secretary officially ask the Task Force to rescind their mammography recommendations in order to avoid confusion as health care reform moves forward. We also urge HHS to include in the USPSTF experts from the areas on which they will be advising lawmakers and submit their recommendations for comment and review to outside stakeholders in similar fashion to rules enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A more inclusive process can only benefit Americans as we seek to improve our health care system.
That's funny because the ACR had no problem with the USPSTF when they recommended abdominal ultrasounds for male smokers for screening for AAAs. Hmmm.
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