Medicare: Annual Mammogram Quirks By Lillie Shockney, R.N., M.A.S. - Posted Fri, Nov 14, 2008, 4:13 pm PST

1. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 6:31 am PST

Does anyone know if Medicare covers yearly pap smears

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2. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 1:10 pm PST

I signed up for Medicare last August. I am an RN, so I am no stranger to the medical world, but I have never been so confounded by anything in my life as I am Medicare coverage. I think they do it deliberately to intimidate and confuse old people. This is just another example. What's worse is Medicare Pt D drug coverage. I'm beginning to long for universal health care as depicted in Michael Moore's movie, SICKO.

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3. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 1:29 pm PST

Annual Mammogram promotes breast cancer, use thermography!

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4. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 1:31 pm PST

Annual Mammogram promotes breast cancer, use thermography!

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5. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 2:36 pm PST

Annual Mammogram promotes breast cancer, use thermography!

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6. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 7:01 pm PST

"And you thought getting your breasts squeezed was the only ouch involved!" The pain associated with a mammogram is not really funny. (Yes, they are painful, for me anyway and a lot of women I know.) I think the joke coveys that this is not really ALL that painful (wink, wink.) I beg to differ... The article otherwise was good as far as how to be sure your procedure is covered by Medicare if you are eligible.

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7. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 4:28 am PST

Yes, mammograms hurt but the benefits outweigh the discomfort. Silly, one x-ray a year won't cause cancer. My first mammogram at 65 showed a nodule. It was removed, biopsied and declared benign. Ladies, get that yearly checkup!!

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8. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 9:38 am PST

Sounds to me as though it's the bureaucrats who're the biggest "boobs" of all in this case.

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9. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 10:51 am PST

I got my Mammogram in 2006. If it was not for this , I may not be here. A little pain is better than a lot of pain later.

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10. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 11:01 am PST

Here is a product that will help make that Mammogram less painful. it is called "A Mammopad" Check with your Mammogram provider. Just FYI

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11. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 2:55 pm PST

Obviously the administrators at Medicare have never tried to schedule an appointment for a mammo... Too soon and you eat the charges, to late and it is often hard to get in. I've had mine this year but for the life of me can't recall when other than it was springtime. Luckily I have private pay insurance for a couple of more years. More issues for our new president to face, we can get national health care but then a bunch of dummies with odd little quirks like a year and a day rules wil write it up. Kind of sad to think of it.

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12. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 3:16 pm PST

We need universal health care. Things like this would not be an issue. Ask anyone in Canada or France if they every been charged for a mamogram (and they do not wait any longer than we do). The answer would be no. When you go to a private doctor or hospital most often you have to sign an agreement that you will cover what your insurer will not. So even if you are covered by Medicare if they don't pay, you have to. In most Countries with Universal Care the doctors are employees and the goverment owns the hospitals so this would be a non-issue for the patient. BTW people who get their coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan, should not have this problem as long as they use network doctors. One more point, I would rather have the silly rules of the goverment than the unethical and down right criminal behaviors of the health plans making decisions about what is covered or not. Everytime I read stories about people who buy and pay for coverage only to have their coverage revoked the first time they need it - I see red.

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13. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 3:17 pm PST

We need universal health care. Things like this would not be an issue. Ask anyone in Canada or France if they every been charged for a mamogram (and they do not wait any longer than we do). The answer would be no. When you go to a private doctor or hospital most often you have to sign an agreement that you will cover what your insurer will not. So even if you are covered by Medicare if they don't pay, you have to. In most Countries with Universal Care the doctors are employees and the goverment owns the hospitals so this would be a non-issue for the patient. BTW people who get their coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan, should not have this problem as long as they use network doctors. One more point, I would rather have the silly rules of the goverment than the unethical and down right criminal behaviors of the health plans making decisions about what is covered or not. Everytime I read stories about people who buy and pay for coverage only to have their coverage revoked the first time they need it - I see red.

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14. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 3:21 pm PST

We need universal health care. Things like this would not be an issue. Ask anyone in Canada or France if they every been charged for a mamogram (and they do not wait any longer than we do). The answer would be no. When you go to a private doctor or hospital most often you have to sign an agreement that you will cover what your insurer will not. So even if you are covered by Medicare if they don't pay, you have to. In most Countries with Universal Care the doctors are employees and the goverment owns the hospitals so this would be a non-issue for the patient. BTW people who get their coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan, should not have this problem as long as they use network doctors. One more point, I would rather have the silly rules of the goverment than the unethical and down right criminal behaviors of the health plans making decisions about what is covered or not. Everytime I read stories about people who buy and pay for coverage only to have their coverage revoked the first time they need it - I see red.

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15. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Nov 16, 2008, 4:52 pm PST

Medicare is a nightmare to all of health care. It dictates, unbeknownst to the poor elderly, and the providers, what and how much, will be covered and reimbursed. If the annual mammogram is coded incorrectly, or if one needs a repeat mammogram to clarify something fuzzy on a mammo, watch out!-No coverage. Annual mammo is not a catchall either. Some breast cancers can appear and grow rapidly in a few months. Try getting a mammo covered for that. By the way, all you who scream for Universal Health: knowledgeable providers welcome it: office hours 9-5 with 12 -1 closed for lunch. 10 min each visit, and out you go. Want surgery or any procedure-CT, MRI, ultrasound, get a number and wait-doc can't influence schedules. 5p.m.- doors close. If you have a problem after hours, no on-call doc. Go to the gov't clinic or hospital and wait for hours. Honestly, are you really ready for Universal Heath, or One Payor gov't run health? In the Know Health Professional

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