50 years old before mammograms-independant group that doesn't set policy?Guess again

[Sox]

Remember the furor not very long ago when the U.S Preventive Service Task Force stated that women in their 40's should not get routine mammograms for early detection of breast cancer?Remember how quickly the Health and Human Resources Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reassured everybody that "The task force is "making recommendations, not coverage decisions, not payment decisions."

 

Well guess what.That same task force has it's hand in the Health Care Bill.As a matter of fact,they ARE the ones that the senate bill relies on to outline what preventative benefits Americans should have access to.

 

That's right. The same task force whose influence the White House is playing down is actually weighing in on whether or not your mammogram should be covered. Take a look right there in section 27- 13. It's titled, Coverage of Preventive Health Services. It reads, quote, "A group health plan and a health insurance issuer -- shall provide coverage for and shall not impose any cost sharing requirements for -- services that have in effect a priority rating of 'A' or 'B' in the current recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force."

 

Well, that task force says mammograms between ages 40 and 50 is a level c, not a priority level, not covered. And here's something else. On the Health and Human Services Web site, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is described as the quote, "Gold standard for clinic preventive services." And insurance companies look to that panel for guidance on which preventative care practices they should actually cover.

 

But now you suddenly have the administration distancing itself from this task force which was assembled by Kathleen Sebelius' own department and saying in effect, "Hang on, don't pay attention to those people. We're not going to listen to their recommendations."

 

Kathleen Sebelius told CNN last week, quote, "They do not make policy decisions, they don't make coverage decisions."

 

 

They were outed by CNN.

 

Breast Cancer Controversy