The descent to health helplessness is illustrated  by mammography. Everyone had been in hysterics about whether health insurance, government or otherwise, will cover routine mammograms. Forget about whether the procedure is useful or not and focus on what it tells us about our loss of self reliance. The average cost of a mammogram is $102 – for the numerically challenged, that’s $51 a year if you get biennial testing. You’ll pay your dentist more for your semi-annual visit  to get your teeth examined and cleaned. A visit to the vet when your dog or cat gets sick will also set you back more than this amount. The dentist and the vet expect to be paid at the time they deliver their service. You’ll not be surprised by this expectation and you’ll pay.  So why is everyone up in arms about whether their insurance will cover something most people can afford? Work it out for yourself.

Note: If mammograms were entirely separated from medical insurance they would likely cost about $30 apiece.

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