I never thought I'd say these words: I want my mammogram! It's not like it's an enjoyable experience, even though the staff at the centers usually try their best to make it pleasantly tolerable. It's just that I've been watching the news this week surrounding the announcement that the United States Prevention Services Task Force has updated the government's recommendations for women to no longer have mammograms on a regular basis prior to age 50. It's left me worried that the new recommendations will reverse the gains made during the past two decades of work on behalf of women's healthcare and where early detection of breast cancer has moved mountains (no pun intended), the early detection guidelines have saved multiple women close to my family and workplace because their cancers were caught in stage one.
But what most surprised me this week was that the task force spokespeople were not prepared for the amount of anger they've received from women regarding the new recommendation. Which made me actually laugh out loud. Who are the people on this independent task force that they couldn't predict their announcement to be ill-received? The bulk of the audience their announcement affects is women age 30-60! As in, the popular age of motherhood, and passionate opinions.
Continue reading "I Want My Mammogram" »
Having lived in four states, I've often wondered why healthcare differs so much from state to state. Prenatal care requirements are different in each locale, and insurance covers different tests and procedures in each state as well. California, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey have their own vaccination and well-visit guidelines, which strikes me as strange. Having moved from California I discovered that my son was ahead of his vaccination schedule in Illinois at just 12 months old, which left me wondering which state or insurance company best had his health in mind?
The proposed sweeping healthcare reforms are monumental. They won't affect 40 million people, or 80 million people, this will impact EVERY SINGLE American life - all 305 million of us - what tests are performed, what drugs are prescribed, what therapies are covered, which doctor we see, etc. so please give it the reverence and thoughtfulness that this monumental issue deserves. I implore our senators and representatives to set aside time in your D.C. schedules to visit your district or state to discuss this topic with your contituencies. Do a full week of family room chats in your districts, put up unbiased surveys to gauge which aspects of the proposed reforms the people in your district are most agreeable to or anxious about (Just make sure that the survey isn't as limiting or one-sided as the one on U.S. Congressman Scott Garrett's site. I mean come on, I spent longer conveying my thoughts and feedback on BlogHer09 in an online survey than I did on a healthcare reform survey?!) Please take the time to listen to our concerns and inform us about what is really being debated and where things stand. Don't denigrate the topic - or us - as incapable of understanding the issues involved.
Continue reading "Want The Truth on Healthcare Reform? So Do I. " »
The past few years for Omar and I has been like one of those good news/ bad news jokes. It goes something like this:
Bad News: I unexpectedly lose my job as well as Becca and my health benefits.
Good News: Becca and I can get our health insurance through Omar's job.
Bad News: Our benefits are reduced and many of our current doctors don't accept Omar's insurance.
Good News: I get a new job with excellent health insurance benefits.
Bad News: Three weeks later, Omar loses his job and his health insurance benefits.
Continue reading "Does This Position Include Health Benefits? " »
Recent Comments