Nov 17, 2009

Obama admin. already trying to control health care decisions?

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government panel of doctors and scientists, recommends against routine screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years. The American Cancer Society does not agree.

"The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40."-Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer, American Cancer Society

Now we have two groups of doctors with conflicting opinions, not unheard of, but why do the two groups hold their respective opinion?

"The USPSTF says that screening 1,339 women in their 50s to save one life makes screening worthwhile in that age group. Yet USPSTF also says screening 1,904 women ages 40 to 49 in order to save one life is not worthwhile. The American Cancer Society feels that in both cases, the lifesaving benefits of screening outweigh any potential harms."-American Cancer Society

So is the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government group, already starting to decide who gets medical care and who doesn't?  Is this a sign of the future of government run medicine, to decide at what age and who gets what proceedures?

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