Republicans Say Cancer Screening Guidelines .....

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cp418
cp418 Member Posts: 7,079
edited June 2014 in Advocacy

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/republicans-say-cancer-screening-guidelines-portend-medical-rationing/

Republicans Say Cancer Screening Guidelines Portend Medical Rationing

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  • iodine
    iodine Member Posts: 4,289
    edited November 2009

    We already have medical rationing.  It' s called insurance and drug plans.  LOL

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  • cheranthia
    cheranthia Member Posts: 65
    edited November 2009

    That's right, Iodine. I am really worried that Fox News and Republicans are rushing to make a connection between these ridiculous recommendations and health insurance reform. Don't fall for it, ladies. Being BC survivors, we NEED reform that prevents insurance companies from dropping us for pre-existing conditions. As one oncology nurse told me, "As far as insurance companies are concerned, you have a big red C on your forehead and it will be there for the rest of your life."

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  • HelloFromCT
    HelloFromCT Member Posts: 280
    edited November 2009

    cheranthia, it seems more like a rush to blame 'Fox News and the Republicans' for something that has nothing to do with them.  At least Fox is reporting on it honestly and trying to highlight the disastrous effect these changes would have if they were put in place.    There is a good possibility that this is going to be the standard, as it is in many other countries.  As many others have said, and I agree, it could be just one of many services to be downgraded or cut with the new 'healthcare'.

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  • my2boys
    my2boys Member Posts: 339
    edited November 2009

    I am not a member of either party, but I agree that Fox News is reporting this story in a fair way.  I also like the way that ABC News has been reporting it.

    On the other hand...NBC News seems to agree with the panel's recommendations and their "medical expert" is in agreement with the panel.

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  • Colette37
    Colette37 Member Posts: 387
    edited November 2009

    CP...that is exactly what it is that they are doing.  It isn't the Democrats though...it is our government who is doing it.

    cheranthia...(keep in mind I never voted for Bush and I am not a Rep) looking at the government's actions this is exactly what is happening.  Even though the government's task force is "recommending" these actions and the insurances and Dr. can disregard them..the truth is that the insurances (and our government is wanting to be ONE of those insurance groups) and Dr. follow the recommendations that this task force puts out.  It is considered the standard of care for the patients that the medical community goes by, including the law and judicial branch of the government.

    As far as the Democrats/Republicans and Conservative/Liberals..those are all lables put on to split the nation between us and them and does nothing to see the reality of what is happening and to look at the actions and not just reacting to events.

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  • PauldingMom
    PauldingMom Member Posts: 927
    edited November 2009


    Private insurance will jump all over this study based on facts collected from as far back as 2002 just so that they can save a few bucks. What makes it worse is the Stimulus Bill paid for this study. Yep, we paid for this study. Democrats and Republicans should all be involved in changing this and having the study expanded to include newer digital mammogram, If this is not reversed I expect more and more people re-thinking the whole Democratic party. 

    I'm also sending encouragement to  Michelle Obama to use her influence to persuade a change for the positive as opposed to this negative recommendation. 

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  • PSK07
    PSK07 Member Posts: 781
    edited November 2009

    Iodine is right - the rationing comes straight from the insurance companies.

     Do we have to make this a political (Dem/Rep) issue?  It transcends party affiliation.  The panel is made up of people appointed during the prior administration, and there is no statement as to what their party affilitation is.  I couldn't even tell you from the stories just how long they've been working on this particular study. A year? A month? Honestly, it doesn't matter if they came on during the Carter administration.  Similar statements on BC have been made for the past couple of years, most recently in conjunction with their recs on prostate cancer screenings.  Heck, Susan Love has been saying (essentially) for years not to treat DCIS as anything more than abnormal cells and has been an advocate of limited treatment for about as long.

    The newspaper said today that their recommendations are updated every 5 years. Each member of the panel volunteers their time. The members typically stay on for 4 years, but there is no limit.

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  • iodine
    iodine Member Posts: 4,289
    edited November 2009

    This group of bean counters feel that it's cheaper to treat a met. bc with chemo-rads, meds, etc, than to screen a bunch of us. Simple.  Follow the money.

    Problem I have is laying it all on the doc to get the mammo---at present they have to hire people to precert surgery, CT scans, MRI's and extra toilet paper.  When a patient is sent home according to the ins. limit of stay in the hospital, and something goes wrong, the doc is blamed.  Ins says, all s/he had to do was ask for more tme in the hospital.  Yeah, right, I've heard docs on the phone with ins. docs and trying to explain why a patient needs to stay longer and getting refused over and over.  And even worse is a doc trying to explain to a high school grad who is being trained (to just say NO) and they don't even understand the terminology.

    Hosptials have whole staffs that all they do is review inpatients and call ins. co's to justify more time or even the time already authorized.

    I was on the patient/hospital end of this mess when it all began years ago.

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