New mammography guidelines only help insurance companies

November 18th, 2009

On the eve of Obamacare, are we already seeing a view of things to come? A government task force, the US Preventive Services Task Force, has recommended against routine mammograms for women under 50. And then, just every two years. They cite reasons such as protecting women from the trauma of false positives, the discomfort of the procedure, etc.

But, mammograms can detect possible cancer before it can be felt by anyone. This early detection catches cancer when it is much easier to treat than later on when a lump is felt. What about women who have breast cancer run in the family? These women probably should have routine mammograms beginning very early in life, against the task force recommendations.

And, what about insurance companies? They will likely seize upon these guidelines as policy and will refuse to pay for mammograms outside of recommended schedule. So, high-risk women will bear the brunt of any cost of early detection, which will, of course, cause many women to pass on this.