Enter a government panel and its new guidelines for breast cancer screening. Only women over 50 need screening. And, they only need it every two years. Oh yeah, we don’t need to do self-exams either.
Is this the same type of government panel that will issue “best practices guidelines”for doctors to follow when we get our new and improved healthcare system? Scary thought.
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What does it mean for patients? Younger women, typically with more aggressive types of cancers, won’t be diagnosed until it’s too late. All women risk facing more serious consequences in terms of medical treatments, quality of life, and even life itself.
Is that really cost-saving? Treating advanced stage cancer is expensive. And,the cost of a life? What does the government panel say about that?
Women, who can afford it, will have the option of covering the cost of additional screenings, beyond those recommended by a government panel. Poorer women, not so much.
Healthcare reforms being discussed in Congress will reduce access, raise costs, and diminish quality of healthcare. Congress has made a mess and a mockery of an important issue. They have forgotten the first rule of medicine: Do no harm.
It’s time for Congress to stop what it’s doing and start over with common sense healthcare reform - reform that won’t harm us.
Linda Orcutt, PhD.
Montrose
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