Conservative horror stories about Obamacare run amok are finally coming true in the minds of some.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government panel of doctors and scientists, concluded on Monday that women in their 40s do not need mammograms. According to the Associated Press, the decision went on to state that women should begin biennial testing at age 50. This is a break from the American Cancer Society’s long-held position, which states that women should seek annual mammograms beginning at age 40, and it has stirred controversy in the medical community.
So this sounds like an open-and-shut case of Obama-style communist health care rationing, right? While we’re sure that some people (you know who) will paint it as such, let’s not jump to conclusions. Early breast cancer diagnosis is critical, but if the health risks and financial costs of testing women under 50 outweigh the benefits, this is a sound decision.
The task force found that early and frequent screenings often lead to false alarms and unneeded biopsies, without significantly improving women’s odds of survival. It argues that the risk of breast cancer in women younger than 50 is very low, but the risk of biopsy complications after false-positive results is too high to recommend mammograms for this group.
These recommendations are also in line with international guidelines, which call for testing to begin at age 50. The World Health Organization suggests mammograms every two years, while Britain says every three years.
So before jumping on the pundit bandwagon, already beginning to portray this as the Obama administration trying to take away health care from those who need it, consider the argument in its entirety.
