Beware of These 7 Health Scams

Lind Weaver was shocked to get a hospital bill for right foot amputation, since she’s never had anything worse than an ingrown toenail. A Child Protective Services employee accused Anndorie Sachs of giving birth to a baby who tested positive for methamphetamine. Actually, the Salt Lake City mom hadn’t given birth for nearly three years. Both women discovered that they were victims of medical identity theft, a problem that’s on the rise, according to investigators from Department of Health and Human Services.

National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association, a watchdog group, calculates the cost of health fraud at $70 billion to $234 billion a year. Alarmingly, more and more “medi-cons” are being perpetuated by organized crime rings. “Yesterday’s drug dealers are now working in today’s healthcare fraud,” Florida state insurance fraud investigator John Askins told Business Week. “It’s more lucrative and they don’t face the same dangers they do in the narcotics trade.” And the con artists are getting bolder and bolder. Watch out for these seven health scams:

Discover smart, safe ways to save on climbing healthcare costs.

1. Telemarketers offering “free” medical care or supplies. In the newest Medicare fraud scheme, con artists are offering “free” back braces, blood sugar monitors, scooters, diabetic supplies, or health screenings. However, there’s one catch: To qualify for the supposed freebies, you have to provide your Medicare number, which is then used to file bogus claims under your name. In one recent case, seniors were lured to a phony clinic with offers of a free health screening and a case of Ensure nutritional supplement. The clinic then billed Medicare for nearly $1 million for diagnostic tests the patients never received.

2. Dietary supplements that promise to cure health problems. Americans shell out billions of dollars for OTC dietary supplements, from vitamins and minerals to amino acids, herbs and enzymes. While some can be helpful, others are worthless or downright dangerous. These products don’t undergo any government testing or review before being put on the market. Be wary of claims that a supplement can help you lose weight, cure insomnia or impotence, or are a cure-all for a variety of ailments, all of which are fraudulent. Among the tip-offs that a supplement might be a scam, says the FTC, are case histories claiming amazing results, hype about a “secret ingredient,” “ancient remedy,” or “scientific breakthrough,” and promises of no-risk money-back guarantees. 

3. Arthritis remedies.  Consumers spend $2 billion a year on unproven arthritis remedies, from copper bracelets to “natural cures,” such as mussel extract, shark cartilage, desiccated liver pills, and CMO (cetylmyristoleate), according to the FTC. Questionable—and often costly--treatments are easy to fall for because arthritis symptoms come and go, so people may think the product is helping when it’s just the natural waxing and waning of their symptoms. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for most forms of arthritis, but heat, rest, exercise and certain medications can help quell painful flares.

Find out easy ways to keep your joints active when arthritis strikes.

4. Ear candles. The FDA has issued a warning about the hazards of ear candles, 10-inch hollow cones made of fabric soaked in beeswax or paraffin that are placed in the ear and lit. Also called ear coning or thermal auricular therapy, the procedure is advertised as a way to draw out earwax, toxins and impurities from the ears, or a treatment for ear infections and headaches. However, not only have patients suffered facial and ear burns, perforated eardrums, and other injuries, but ear candles are also worthless for removing ear wax—and can actually push it deeper into the ear canal. 

5. Memory aids. Many people fear memory loss, making them easy prey for products and treatments that purport to prevent memory-robbing disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. So-called “smart pills” that remove amalgam dental fillings, and some forms of brain “retraining” are just a few of the untested approaches on the market. While there is no proven way to prevent memory loss, staying physically and mentally active may lower risk.

6. Anti-aging medications. While we’d all like to be forever young, be skeptical of pills or other therapies that claim to slow or reverse aging. So far, no treatments have been proven effective at turning back the clock. However, among the health benefits of avoiding smoking and tanning are fewer wrinkles, while regular workouts and keeping your weight down help your body age well. 

7. Health insurance scams. Fake and deceptive health plans are a growing scam—and victims all over the US have been hit with huge medical bills when bogus carriers refuse to pay up. Fraudulent plans promise full coverage, but actually provide worthless or stripped-down policies, or “discount” plans that force subscribers to cover most medical bills, reports the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Among these scamsters’ tricks are claims that these policies are “required” by healthcare reform, a requirement to join a union or association to buy the coverage, and pushy pitchmen, touting a special deal that’s only available if you sign up today. If the deal seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scams.

Boost Your Brain Health: Healthy habits to stay mentally sharp at every age.

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