|
Full-body Scams, er a ... Scans
By Stephen Bucaro
Full-body CT (Computer Tomography) scanners are appearing in strip malls and office
centers all over the country. Many doctors are recommending a full-body CT scan
(follow the kick-back money). The sales pitch; "A full-body scan can find disease
early when it is more treatable." The scans cost between $600.00 and $3,000.00 and
are not covered by Medicare or health insurance plans when no symptoms exist.
The scam is most profitable when perpetrated against individuals over 50 years of age.
Scans of individuals in this age group often show scars from long ago healed cysts and
benign spots on the kidney, liver, or pancreas. Doctors and hospitals can use these
meaningless irregularities to generate thousands of dollars in unnecessary tests. False
positive test results can generate profits from biopsies and invasive surgeries.
CT scans provide the most profitable but the poorest quality of medial imaging. Contrast
agents can be used to make CT scans more accurate, but the fast-buck consumer imaging
centers don't use contrast agents. Ultra Sound and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
scans provide much sharper images, but a lower profit margin. The result is, the CT
scan might give you the false security of perfect health when a killer disease exists.
The American Cancer Society, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the American
College of Radiology do not recommend full-body CT scans. The American Cancer Society
says, "x-ray radiation has a cumulative effect. You should not get unnecessary x-rays."
If you have no symptoms but still feel that you need to get a full-body CT scan, you
might try seeing a psychiatrist about a condition called hypochondriasis.
| 
Free Downloads
Career
Stop Choking with the Heimlich Maneuver