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USPSTF Guidelines

USPSTF Guidelines

Women Deserve Access to Mammograms Every Year Beginning at 40

If we don’t find it, we can’t treat it! Many U.S. Senators, Congressman and Physicians have shared their concern of these proposed guidelines.

FACT: According to National Cancer Institute data, since mammography screening became widespread in the mid-1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate has dropped 35 percent. Insurance coverage has enabled this dramatic reduction in breast cancer deaths.

SITUATION: The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recently proposed new guidelines for breast cancer screening recommendations. The new guidelines may limit access to mammography for 22 million women between the ages of 40 and 49. By assigning breast cancer screening a “C” grade for women under 50, insurance companies will no longer be required to offer screenings without a copay, which was previously guaranteed by the affordable Care Act. Adoption of these guidelines could result in thousands of additional and unnecessary breast cancer deaths each year. Thousands more women may experience more extensive and expensive treatments than if their cancers had been found earlier by screening mammograms.

Give your opinion about the USPSTF guidelines for mammography screenings – let your voice be heard!

  1. Post on Facebook or send a tweet about why you disagree with the USPSTF draft recommendations and the importance of annual mammography screenings. For example:
    • Data shows that mammography reduces mortality by 30% in the U.S. This fact cannot be ignored. #TestAt40 #USPSTF
    • FACT: The number of women age 40 – 49 we lose annually to breast cancer is close to 4,000 according to @AmericanCancer #USPSTF
  2. Call your Members of Congress
    • Call 202-225-3121 and ask to be directed to your Member of Congress
    • You can find your U.S. Representative hear by typing in your zip code: http://www.house.gov
    • You can find your U.S. Senators here by selecting your state: http://www.senate.gov
    • Tell them to take action against the Task Force’s guidelines
  3. Write a Letter to the Editor of your Local Newspaper
    • Share why you disagree with the USPSTF draft recommendations and the importance of access to annual mammography screenings beginning at 40.