Mammogram Guidelines Debate

New government guidelines are encouraging women to get mammograms once every two years after 50. Dr. Jennifer Ashton reports.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• cbsepisode
• cbsHEALTH
• breast
• cancer
• mammogram
• guidelines
• government
• cdc
• debate
• health

[wendyhum]

Mammograms increase breast cancer risk due to the cumulative radiation. Women should be made aware of the very safe and, in fact, more accurate screening methods of thermography and/or MRI. Mammograms are big business and no one wants to admit this - they are advertised and promoted with free "giveaways" to entice women to have them. The advice to have mammograms later and less often is good advice, but better advice would be to utilize the other options.

[IMPLR1369007]

There is a very good reason for the politicians who are pushing for women to wait longer for Mammograms, the goal is to reduce the number of mammograms.

It is because mammograms detect malignant growths in "boobs" and the BOOBS in DC are afraid they will be discovered for the malignant growths that they have become, feeding on the life's blood of the American people.

[IMPLR1369007]

Yet, my retirement physical of 18 months earlier, had already confirmed my disabilities.

NOW....Why should I believe that any new healthcare bill will be any different than the current debacle?

Based on my experience, I have begun informing High School aged people in my area about the poor quality of service I received and cautioning them against military service.

[IMPLR1369007]

I was informed that I had to register with the local VA clinic, which required that I meet with a VA doctor.

The Doctor I was assigned is Pakistani and barely speaks English. It took me 18 months to get an appointment for my initial consult, and I was not allowed to get any VA treatments until the consult was complete. The first thing my Pakistani doctor said to me was "I'm tired of all of you people faking your injuries to get disability." This was before she even began the exam.

(Cont'd)

[IMPLR1369007]

For the next 36 months, Medicare charged me 90.00 a month for coverage, but since the law places Medicare at the end of the line of payers, Aetna carried the ball and I paid Medicare 90.00 a month only to have them deny every charge. Like Obama-care, there is no "Opt-out" of the Medicare trap.

As for TRICARE and VA, when I retired I was 40% disabled but it took them a year to figure that out and get a disability letter done.

(Cont'd)

[IMPLR1369007]

Since Medicare Part A (which covers nothing other than hospital stays) was what I was enrolled in, I was faced with the choice of enrolling in Part B, which I had to pay for, or having no insurance to cover my copays. TRICARE was revoked even though I am a veteran, because when a veteran, any veteran is enrolled into any part of Medicare they lose their veterans promised health care coverage, as it is replaced by Medicare.

(Cont'd)

[IMPLR1369007]

Aetna paid all costs, except the co-pays, TRICARE paid a small percentage, and I paid the rest out of pocket.

Then TRICARE billed their portion to AETNA, so the government paid nothing.

On the advice of a hospital Social Worker I signed up for Social Security Disability (SSD). I was on SSD for 26 months. At my 25th month of SSD, Medicare informed me that because I had been on SSD for more than 24 months that the law required I go on Medicare. This was after my cancer was cured.

(Cont"d)

[IMPLR1369007]

I'm a retired veteran; I have coverage from Aetna, the VA, and Medicare. I was diagnosed with Leukemia when I was 40, Aetna paid for all of my care, VA claimed that I had to go to a civilian cancer care center because they didn't have the proper facilities to treat me. So I went to the University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer center, in Louisville KY. The care was first rate, the government payment was far from it.

(Cont'd)

[tishhead]

If you care to educate yourself, you could go to the websites of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, the National Women's Health Network or Breast Cancer Action. They are all strong advocates for women's health and they all agree with these findings.

And you don't think that private insurance companies aren't rationing care and denying coverage right now? This panel didn't say anything about not covering the procedure. If anyone stops coverage, it will be the insurance cos.

[Mikevdog]

Medicaid