Mammogram guidelines. The controversy over what your insurance should cover and what you should be doing in the way of preventative cancer health has been fueled by a new release from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Their new stance, many believe, could be potentially harmful to millions of women not just in the U.S., but around the globe.
The Task force has decided that it is unnecessary for women under the age of 50 to get those yearly breast exams unless they have a family history of cancer. This single stance has turned the health industry on its heels. For many women, yearly mammograms begin at the age of 40, and sometimes sooner if they have a family history.
This has been the way of things for many years, and not only has it become a way of life for millions of women, it has become a culture all on its own. Here in our hometown we watch every once a month as the local newscasters remind us of ‘Buddy Check,’ where we get with a ‘Buddy’ and remind each other to do our monthly self-exams.
This culture has spawned the Susan G. Komen foundation, donation drives for cancer research, product promotions of kitchen appliances and pink yogurt to raise money, communities of women helping each other through family cancer battles, walks and runs and ‘3-days’ where men and women of all ages and backgrounds come together to remind us of those we’ve lost, and to keep us on track with those yearly exams. This culture has just been told that self-exams are basically pointless, and yearly exams should be held off for an entire ten years. That advice just isn’t being taken lightly.
In a surprisingly fair balances article, the New York Time took on both sides of the argument on mammogram exams. On the one side, many are relieved not to feel the need to get those annual exams at 40 being that they don’t see the point.
“And I know many, many women who’ve received false-positives. It always struck me that most women seemed so relieved to know that they don’t have cancer that they never took the next step and said, ‘Hey, why was I just put through that anxiety? I’ve had all these invasive tests and worry only to find out that the mammogram isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?’ ” said one woman to the New York Times.
While others are worried that this isn’t about breast cancer or mammograms, but about the health care system in general.
“To tell women that self exams are not necessary, that is absurd. I think the F.D.A. and insurance companies can be a bit like mafias, there are motives that we don’t see,” said another woman to NYTimes.
So, is this an insurance ploy to free your health care providers from covering your yearly mammogram? The American Cancer Society stated that it will still advise patients to continue with the yearly mammogram after the age of 40. Even the Susan G. Komen foundation, the big one in the eyes of many women, is advising patients to stick to the original plan.
“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.” (Komen.org)
According to the NYTimes, in conversations with doctors they found that many patients have serious concerns about whether their health insurance will cover the yearly mammograms before the age of 50. While it’s still unclear what the end result will be in terms of insurance claims, many doctors agree that in time it will these ‘early’ mammograms will not be covered.
The argument for health insurance coverage for ‘early’ mammograms could go either way, however. The Task force that has taken this stance is simply an independent panel of experts who make recommendations based on specific information. From the information that they have reviewed, which stands in agreement with many physicians, getting a mammogram before the age of 50 with no family history of breast cancer isn’t effective medicine. These recommendations can be used in health reform to identify more effective preventative solutions.
It’s a difficult discussion to have on either side of the fence. Even physicians are torn with what to tell their patients. From what I’ve read online, it seems many physicians will inform their patients of the Task Force’s stance, but also let them know that many other prominent organizations continue to hold to the old way of doing mammograms.
It’s up to you to discuss all of your options with your health care provider. For more information, check out http://www.noinsuranceclub.com.
