Purple People Vote

“U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advising against routine mammograms for women in their 40s.”

This recommendation is being met with by strong protests among cancer groups and breast cancer survivors alike. The recommendation is based on the fact that while cancer is detected in some women there are also a good number of false positives among women in their forties. This recommendation currently has no insurance coverage implications, yet it does raise concerns about what would happen if a government option did exist, and these ‘task forces’ were charged with deciding what procedures would be covered and what wouldn’t. Health care reform legislation does not answer these pertinent questions, and this recommendation does little to instill confidence in the government’s ability to make these important decisions.

From CNN – I Want My Mammograms