The Rose is Among National Health Organizations in Support of New Bill to Ensure Annual Breast Screenings for Women
HOUSTON, TX — The Rose Houston, the leading breast healthcare organization in Southeast Texas, along with top, national health groups like The American College of Radiology, are taking a stance against against the deadly recommendations made by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF is recommending that women no longer receive mammograms at the age of 40, and instead that 50 to 74 is the necessary age group for which women should start receiving mammograms.
The USPSTF also recommended that women ages 50 to 74 only receive biennial mammograms as opposed to the annual mammograms currently suggested. Implementing such recommendations would mean increased challenges for women in need of proper breast healthcare coverage and treatments. According to the American College of Radiology, it would also mean that “6,500 additional women each year in the U.S. would die from breast cancer,” apart from the current estimated 4,700 women under the age of 50 that die annually from breast cancer.
“At The Rose, our mission has always been to reduce deaths from breast cancer by ensuring women have access to screening, diagnostics, and treatment services,” states Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-founder of The Rose. “This implementation would result in more women dying. Therefore, we have created a task force of our own supporters to challenge these recommendations in the only way we know how — gathering people to help, telling the stories of women who are diagnosed, relying on the expertise of medical professionals in women’s breast health care, and creating a signature campaign to carry to Congress to ensure women continue to have access to life-saving screenings.”
Since the recommendations were announced earlier this year, Congress passed the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act. This placed a two-year postponement on implementing the task force’s deadly recommendations; the law requires that new reviews be performed. During this two-year period, insurance companies must continue to cover annual mammograms for all women ages 40 through 75. However, The Rose and The American College of Radiology urge the community to speak out against the recommendations before it’s too late.
To learn more about The Rose and how you can speak out against this recommendation from the USPSTF call 281-464-5165 or visit www.therose.org.
To learn more about the USPSTF, please visit www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.
About The Rose:
The Rose is the leader in Southeast Texas’ breast health care, providing access to care in 35 counties. Since its launch in 1986, The Rose has provided access to high quality breast health care to all women, regardless of their ability to pay. Services offered by The Rose are available to the uninsured through many sponsorship programs. The Rose has on-site, Board Certified physicians, advanced digital technology and patient navigation to ensure a continuum of care.