Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A letter from My sister in law

Hello friends and family, you know me, I am not a high tech person and barely understand email and could never really get blogging so here is my own Gillespie blog as I am so concerned and outraged (actually...) about this new government report today regarding mammograms and breast cancer. I am sure you all heard that a "government report" was issued yesterday that said that women under 50 do not really need mammograms and even over 50 maybe every other year! ANNNd that doctors don't really need to spend time teaching women about self breast exams as they really don't find much and if you feel a lump it "causes undue anxiety in women and needless biopsies". I can hardly speak about my thoughts on this never mind blogging! (That is what I think blogging is all about) So hear goes, please let's not kid ourselves that this is a way to limit health care in a major way. This is what this is about. And since I am actively in the health care field this is getting really scary. Now the insurers will not pay for these before 50 because of a study like this never mind the woman that may miss early detection.

Several years ago I was at a major health care meeting is Washington DC on health care and Brain Injury. This was a historic meeting that I am proud to say I was present even though some of the results were not at all positive. One "statement" that came out of the conference was that there was not enough evidence to show that cognitive rehabilitation for brain injury worked. The field is working to document this. BUT right after that BC/BS wrote right into their policy that they "do not reimburse for cognitive therapy" Patients and families still loose out because of this ruling today.

Also, while I am on this getting really scared kick, I may have shared with some of you the unbelievable high increases that my company had to face this fall with 24 - 78% increases in purchasing health care for my staff. I went on and on about that too that this was how we are really paying for everyone in MA to have health care for all. And yes the governor and the President can say that there is no real effect on our pocketbooks, because small business's is MA are paying the bill. My company's roster of staff is young, single, female and hasn't really changed in the last few years but our rates went up so high. WELL... this weekend in the front page of the Boston Globe was an article on just that, it sounded like my work partner and I wrote the article and I urge you to read it. (I have copies or you can google the globe the front page Sunday). Last week Eileen and I went to testify before a state committee for insurance in MA about this issue - there was only a handful of insurers there! This is scary....

So what can we do - I urge you to speak to friends and colleagues we can't just sit by and let these things happen. Call or write your congressmen and senators. If you have any great ideas let them be known.

Whew I feel better. This surely must be what blogging is all about......Yours always AG

2 comments:

  1. well put, Jo

    mamahouse

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  2. Wow! You go, Mom! Maybe you are cooler than i thought... = ) xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete