Charlotte Tea Party Headquarters

From "A Scarlet Stethoscope":  http://rnadvocate.blogspot.com/2009/11/any-other-questions.html

The current administration of our government just sank to a new low.

They sang the praises of universal healthcare, despite the miserable failure it has been in other countries, and the failures we’ve seen right here in Massachusetts and Oregon.

They asked people contact the White House to report people that dared to speak against their plans for healthcare reform.

They broadcasted “guilt-trip” commercials over the airwaves, filled with half-truths and condemning those that dare to voice opposition to government involvement in healthcare. They sent mass, unsolicited emails to people extolling upon the virtues of universal healthcare and how important it is that it is passed NOW, before it is TOO LATE.

They took a 1,990 page pile of paper that is a horrible excuse for legislation, paid off a few folks in Congress so they’d vote for it, and passed it by the skin of their teeth - a bill that is a slap in the face to the United States Constitution. Not to mention that it will completely paralyze the American healthcare system as we know it, if it is signed into law.

They passed this bill with no regard for the enormous amount of opposition voiced by the American people.

Then, right after millions of Americans had put on their pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a task force (the “USPSTF”, United States Preventive Services Task Force) - who would be responsible for a great deal of healthcare decisions in this country should this current reform plan pass - came out with new recommendations:

"The USPSTF recommends against routine screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years. The decision to start regular, biennial screening mammography before the age of 50 years should be an individual one and take patient context into account, including the patient's values regarding specific benefits and harms."

You read it right. This is not a joke, and this is not a drill. It’s right there, in plain print, on their website: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsbrca.htm .

Oh, it gets better. Here’s more from their new recommendations:

"The USPSTF recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 50 to 74 years."

Not enough for you? Read on:

"The USPSTF recommends against teaching breast self-examination (BSE)."

WHAT???

Of course, Kathleen Sebelius had to come out today and do “damage control”, telling everyone, don’t worry!!! Keep getting your mammograms…this is just a recommendation…of COURSE this won’t affect insurance companies reimbursing for mammograms!

…Except that this recommendation comes from a government agency that makes coverage decisions for folks that have to wrestle with Medicare, and will likely end up making coverage decisions for everyone if this healthcare plan passes. Does she really think that the insurance companies don’t pay attention to AHRQ and this task force? If she believes that, she has no business in the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services.

And the current administration has the audacity to tell Americans that this doesn’t smack of healthcare rationing in a huge way? How dumb does this administration think people are, anyway?

I’ve worked as an Oncology nurse for almost 4 years now, and have worked in nursing for 14 years. I can say with all confidence (and I’m certain, with a great deal of support) that, with regard to healthcare, this is the biggest bag of political excrement that the US government has tried to hand to the American people yet.

There is one bright side: hopefully, this will make people in America start to ask some really tough questions…

Questions like, how does the USPSTF plan to explain these recommendations to my friend, who was diagnosed at age 30 with breast cancer – and had no previous history of cancer?

How do they plan to explain it to another friend of mine, in her mid-thirties, who discovered a lump in her breast on a weekend, received her mammogram that following Monday, and two days later diagnosed with breast cancer that required surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation?

How do they plan to explain it to the millions of women under age 50 who would not be alive today without that screening mammogram?

How do they plan to explain it to their families, their children?

Thank God that there are organizations and public figures that have enough courage to step forward and speak out about what a joke these recommendations are.

 The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was quick to respond, advising people to keep up with their breast cancer screenings. Their article is at http://ww5.komen.org/KomenNewsArticle.aspx?id=6442451487 .

.The American Cancer Society and National Breast Cancer Foundation have spoken out vehemently against these recommendations: http://www.apria.com/common/aw_cmp_printNews/1,2762,1030759,00.html .

Even Sanjay Gupta, MD, tried to get answers directly from a member of this task force, Lucy Marion. (I flatly refuse to put RN after her name. Calling this woman a “nurse” is like calling a Twinkie a “gourmet torte”. Not going to happen, not on my blog.) But this woman apparently calls herself a nurse. He interviewed this woman on, of all networks, CNN. Here’s the link to the interview:

http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2009/11/18/gupta.more.mammo.debate.cnn

What a horrible embarrassment this woman is to the practice of nursing.

What a startling wake-up call this should be to America.

I’ve tried to be politically correct and tell people to engage in a good debate, debate the facts of the bills, and try to go into the healthcare reform conversation with an open mind. I’m pretty much done with that.

Read that “recommendation” again. Read it while keeping in mind that it was written by an agency of the United States Government. Read it while keeping in mind that this agency has a HUGE say in Medicare reimbursement today – and will have even more say if a government healthcare program is passed through Congress.

In past months, people have asked me why the whole concept of government involvement in healthcare throws me into a blind rage…

…any other questions?