Who is the United States Preventive Services Task Force

So Republicans are claiming this breast cancer screening recommendation is just the beginning of the Obama "Death Panels". But, to make that claim, it would help to understand who this task force is...

Simply put the task force is..."The task force first came together in 1984 and is the leading independent panel of private-sector experts in prevention and primary care."

It has 16 participants on the panel, two members are affiliated with nonprofit health insurance entities. The actual task force group was made up of four oncologists, a cancer surgeon and a cancer researcher. They then put together a report and presented the evidence to the 16-person panel.

Not a single member has ANY affiliation with the government. Nor do they set federal policy and determine what services are covered by the federal government. That's up to the Health and Human Services Secretary. The task force are scientists that are putting logic to the screening question, which was originally more of a random number - 40. If the number was lowered, then cancer would be caught for women between say 30-40 too. So the argument for 40-50 is still baseless. Ultimately, its up to your provider, regardless of what the task force recommends.

Last thing to note, your insurance company also listens to the same independent task force, and not just the government. So if your a woman concerned about your screening coverage...I suggest you put pressure on your insurance company, instead of the government....before your insurance company pull a fast one on ya, when your distracted by ignorance.