Insurance companies say they will continue paying for annual mammograms amid widespread fears that new breast cancer screening guidelines from a federal task force could lead women to lose coverage for those tests.

The guidelines -- suggesting that most women under 50 don't need routine mammograms and that women over 50 need them only every other year -- were issued this week by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius tried to ease women's fears by affirming her support for mammography and noting that government policy won't change. Medicare is required by law to cover one mammogram for women from 35 to 39 and annual screenings after that. Sebelius can change that coverage after consulting with the head of the National Cancer Institute.

. . . At least so far, however, insurance plans have not proposed changing their coverage, said Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents 1,300 companies covering 200 million Americans.

Some of the companies that told USA TODAY that they will continue paying for mammograms for women in their 40s include Kaiser Permanente, Aetna, Cigna, Geisinger Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative and WellPoint, which operates Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans in 14 states.

. . . That doesn't mean that companies are totally ignoring the task force's advice.

Wellpoint spokeswoman Jill Becher said the company considers the task force's recommendations, but also weighs advice from the American Cancer Society and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which still recommend annual screenings beginning at age 40.

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